China Carries Out Death Sentence on Ex-Huarong Official in Sweeping Graft Purge

China Carries Out Death Sentence on Ex-Huarong Official in Sweeping Graft Purge

Proponents of the campaign hail it as a vital step toward transparent administration, but detractors contend it serves as a mechanism for eliminating political opponents.

By RMN News Service
New Delhi | December 9, 2025

In a stark demonstration of Beijing’s unrelenting fight against corruption, Chinese authorities executed Bai Tianhui, the former general manager of China Huarong International Holdings (CHIH), on December 9, 2025. Bai, convicted of accepting massive bribes, met his end in Tianjin after a final meeting with family members, underscoring the severity of penalties in high-profile financial misconduct cases.

Bai Tianhui held a key position at CHIH, a subsidiary of China Huarong Asset Management, one of the nation’s premier firms specializing in distressed debt resolution. Between 2014 and 2018, he allegedly took bribes exceeding $156 million in return for granting advantages in project deals and funding arrangements.

[ India Corruption Research Report 2025: Systemic Corruption Embedded in Governance Structures ]

A Tianjin court initially sentenced him in May 2024, a verdict that withstood an appeal in February 2025 and received final approval from the Supreme People’s Court. The court described his offenses as “extremely serious,” involving enormous sums that inflicted substantial harm on state and public interests, with profoundly negative societal repercussions. Unlike many corruption convictions that include a two-year suspension leading to commutation to life imprisonment, Bai’s death penalty was enforced without delay.

This execution is the latest chapter in President Xi Jinping’s extensive anti-corruption initiative, which has zeroed in on the financial sector. Huarong itself has been a focal point: its ex-chairman, Lai Xiaomin, was put to death in January 2021 for amassing $253 million in illicit payments, while multiple other executives have faced probes.

Recent developments include the September 2025 corruption inquiry into Yi Huiman, previously the head of China’s securities watchdog; a 15-year prison term for Li Xiaopeng, former leader of Everbright Group, over 60 million yuan in bribes in March 2025; and a suspended death sentence for Liu Liange, ex-chairman of Bank of China, in November 2024 for bribes totaling 121 million yuan.

Proponents of the campaign hail it as a vital step toward transparent administration, but detractors contend it serves as a mechanism for eliminating political opponents. Details on executions remain shrouded in secrecy, classified as state confidential information in China.