What’s new: Chinese graft busters have launched an investigation into Wang Maosheng, a deputy chief of the energy bureau in North China’s Shanxi province, as the country deepens its corruption clampdown in the coal industry, authorities announced.
Wang, deputy director of Shanxi Provincial Energy Administration (SPEA) and a former executive of multiple state-owned coal companies, is being probed by the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for “serious violations of law and discipline,” according to a Wednesday statement. The phrase is a common euphemism for corruption.
Wang was seen in public in late March at a meeting with China National Offshore Oil Corp. to discuss cooperation in unconventional natural gas in Shanxi, according to media reports.
The background: Wang, a Shanxi native, worked in the coal industry for nearly three decades. During his career he served as chairman of Shanxi Coking Coal Group Co. Ltd. and general manager at Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co. Ltd., which was later integrated into Jinneng Holding Group Co. Ltd., China’s second-largest coal company.
He became the deputy director of the SPEA in May 2020 and was responsible for departments including coal production technology and renewable energy, according to local media reports.
Multiple officials from the coal-rich province have been caught in the anti-graft campaign since 2022, including former provincial state asset regulator Zhu Xiaoming, who served in senior roles at Jincheng Anthracite, as well as former provincial deputy party chief Shang Liguang.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
