Court Jails Wuhan Ex-Mayor 14 Years for Bribery

Former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 5 million yuan after a Chinese court found him guilty of accepting more than 60.5 million yuan in bribes. The court said he used government positions held from 2003 to 2025—including mayor of Wuhan, party chief of Huangshi and vice governor of Hubei—to help companies and individuals secure contracts, conduct business and obtain approvals. His sentence was reduced after he admitted guilt and returned illegally obtained assets. Zhou led Wuhan when the coronavirus outbreak emerged there in late 2019; his handling of the early response drew criticism, though the court’s bribery verdict did not address it.