Former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang sentenced to 14 years for bribery

Former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribery. The Shangqiu Intermediate People’s Court in Henan Province found that Zhou accepted approximately 60.5 million yuan (roughly $9 million USD) in bribes, including cash and real estate, while holding various senior administrative positions in Hubei Province between 2003 and May 2025.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of 5 million yuan. The court noted that Zhou received a lighter sentence due to his confession, cooperation with investigators, disclosure of previously unknown offenses, and the return of illicit assets. The ruling focused on his corruption and did not address his management of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zhou gained international attention in early 2020 during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. At that time, he stated in a televised interview that local authorities required authorization before they could legally disclose information regarding infectious diseases.