Tue May 20 09:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Top Guangxi Official Ousted Amid Corruption Probe, Family Members Implicated
**Nanning, China** – Lan Tianli, the governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has been ousted from his post following a corruption investigation, marking the second instance since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) where a provincial governor has been investigated while in office. Known as “Zhuang Wang” (King of Zhuang) due to his ethnicity, Lan’s downfall has triggered a sweeping purge within the Guangxi government and a call for officials to closely monitor their families.
Reports indicate that Lan’s wife and brother are also under investigation, intensifying scrutiny of his alleged corrupt activities. Sources claim Lan was taken into custody on May 12th in Nanning, with subsequent reports confirming his wife, Wei Xiaoyan, a senior official at Guangxi Medical University, is also being investigated.
In the wake of Lan’s ousting, Guangxi Party Secretary Chen Gang delivered a scathing critique of his predecessor, accusing Lan of damaging the region’s political landscape and hindering economic development. Chen urged all CPC members in Guangxi to learn from the case and strictly manage their family members and staff.
A swift “de-Lan” campaign is underway across Guangxi. Lan’s profile has been removed from the regional government website, and images circulating online show government staff removing his photos from office buildings and discarding promotional materials featuring him. Several high-ranking officials, including Executive Vice Governor Xu Yongke and Secretary-General Zhong Dezhi, have publicly expressed their support for the central government’s decision to investigate Lan.
Analysts suggest Lan’s alleged corruption may stem from his tenure as mayor of Hechi from 2007 to 2011. Tang Renwu, Director of the Government Management Institute at Beijing Normal University, speculates that Lan may have used family members as fronts for real estate and development projects in the impoverished region.
Lan’s rise to power was initially viewed with optimism. After a period of career stagnation, he was appointed acting governor in 2020 and later confirmed in the role, signaling confidence in his ability to drive economic growth in Guangxi. His downfall, however, has sent shockwaves through the region’s political establishment.
The Guangxi government is now scrambling to stabilize confidence and minimize the impact of the investigation on the local economy. Chen Gang has stressed the importance of maintaining economic stability and ensuring continued growth despite the political turmoil.
Prior to Lan’s ousting, four other officials in Guangxi were also placed under investigation, including Zhong Hengqin, a deputy mayor of Qinzhou, Li Wenbo, deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Autonomous Region, Wei Yan, secretary-general of the Wuzhou Municipal Committee, and Pan Liaoting, deputy general manager of Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group. The recent wave of investigations signals a wider anti-corruption campaign within the Guangxi government.
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