Three Beijing academics accused of ‘hedonism’ and breaching party discipline to become latest victims of Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Three Chinese university chiefs have been “named and shamed” for allegedly engaging in illicit acts of “hedonism and dishonesty”.

The punishments – the latest example of president Xi Jinping’s offensive against corruption within the Communist party – were dished out to top officials at the Communication University of China, state media reported on Tuesday. It said two were sacked and another was disciplined.

The Beijing-based institution, which was founded in 1954, has produced some of China’s best-known journalists and television celebrities. Its official motto is: “Integrity, professionalism, learnedness, competence.”

But in an editorial, the Communist party’s mouthpiece newspaper, the People’s Daily, said the university’s top brass had committed grave breaches of party discipline.

“The conclusion from the sackings of so many top officials is this: no matter where are you, what department or unit you are in, no matter how important your position is, no matter how many people are involved, once you break the rules, we will investigate until the end,” it said.

The highest profile victim of the campus crackdown is Chen Wenshen, the university’s powerful Communist party secretary.

During a recent tour of Brazil, Chen urged Chinese students studying there “to value the opportunity, work hard and pay back their alma mater and motherland”.

Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) Fallen university chief Chen Wenshen (5th from right) enjoying a recent tour of Brazil pic.twitter.com/NsaG2sVlwz

But back in China Chen now stands accused of using “fancy cars” and splashing out on extravagant receptions that caused “chaos in financial management and expenditures far exceeding income”.

Another of the shamed scholars is Su Zhiwu, the university’s principal.



Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) Disgraced Chinese university principal Su Zhiwu in (apparently) happier days pic.twitter.com/OKhSR6tYUw

According to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, Su was “scolded” for putting “gifts sent to the university on display in his own office without registering them in university records”.

A third culprit, vice-principal Lv Zhisheng, allegedly failed to enforce frugality rules, by holding receptions that far exceeded the university’s budgets.

Both Su and Lv have been sacked while Chen was “disciplined”, according to state media reports.

Precise details of the university’s profligate banquets were not revealed.

But in December 2014 the university staged a New Year’s gala for foreign students at which the 1,500 guests were reportedly entertained with Korean and Egyptian dance routines and a rendition of Céline Dion’s My Heart will Go On.



The previous year the university threw an even more lavish party to celebrate 60 years since its foundation. The festivities were attended by an A-list of Chinese celebrities.

Xinhua said another five members of university staff had been “sacked, demoted or warned for fabricating facts and data during anti-corruption inspections and investigations”.

Xi’s anti-corruption campaign – which has seen hundreds of thousands of party officials disciplined, including a number of top leaders – has proved popular with many ordinary Chinese citizens.

As news of the university crackdown spread this week, former students, including many well-known Chinese journalists, took to social media to mock their fallen educators.

One journalist posted a photograph of his degree certificate on WeChat, jokingly wondering if it was still valid now the man who had signed it was out of a job.

On Weibo, China’s Twitter, commentators suggested the rot spread far beyond the classrooms of the Communication University of China. “Education has become foul and pestilent,” wrote one.

Additional reporting by Christy Yao