Former general manager of China Datang Group, Kou Wei, who has been retired for more than two years, was officially announced to be under investigation on Saturday (December 21). The power system is the territory of the family of former Chinese Premier Li Peng, with his son Li Xiaopeng long in control of China Huaneng Group, where Kou Wei once held important positions.
According to the official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party on the 21st, Kou Wei, former deputy secretary of the Party Committee and general manager of China Datang Group Co., Ltd., is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and is currently under investigation.
Public records show that Kou Wei, 63 years old from Jianchuan, Yunnan, has long served in the Yunnan power system, holding positions such as Deputy Director (Assistant General Manager) of Yunnan Provincial Electric Power Industry Bureau (Company), Deputy General Manager of Yunnan Electric Power Group Co., Ltd., and General Manager of Yunnan Lancang River Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. Subsequently, Kou Wei served as Chairman and Party Secretary of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co., Ltd., Chief Engineer of China Huaneng Group Company. In February 2010, Kou Wei was appointed Deputy General Manager of Huaneng Group.
On July 1, 2016, Kou Wei was appointed General Manager of State Grid. On December 13, 2018, Kou Wei was appointed Chairman of State Grid. In January 2020, Kou Wei was suddenly transferred to Datang Group as the general manager, returning to the power generation industry. Transitioning from the top leader of the power grid to the second in command in the power generation industry was a very rare position change within the power system. He retired in May 2022.
The power system of the Chinese Communist Party is the territory of the family of former Chinese Premier Li Peng, and his son Li Xiaopeng has long been in control of China Huaneng Group. Li Xiaopeng held positions such as Assistant General Manager of Huaneng International Power Development Company in October 1991, Director and General Manager of China Huaneng Group Company in December 1999, and Chairman and General Manager of Huaneng International Power Co., Ltd. Li Xiaopeng did not resign as General Manager of China Huaneng Group Company and Director and Chairman of Huaneng International until June 2, 2008, before entering politics and serving as Governor of Shanxi Province and Minister of Transport and Party Secretary.
In November of this year, 65-year-old Li Xiaopeng officially stepped down as Minister of Transport and has transitioned to the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, retiring to the second line.
Looking at the resume, Kou Wei worked in Huaneng’s Yunnan system and served as Chief Engineer of Huaneng, perhaps during Li Xiaopeng’s tenure.
In addition, Li Xiaolin, known as the “Electricity Queen” and daughter of Li Peng, officially became Vice General Manager of Datang Group Co., Ltd. on July 7, 2015. On May 23, 2018, Li Xiaolin retired.
Before Kou Wei’s investigation, Dai Bo, former assistant general manager of Datang Group, was investigated in August this year.
Established in December 2002, Datang Group Co., Ltd. is a large state-owned energy enterprise directly managed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, currently ranking last among the top five power generation groups in China.
Including Kou Wei, a total of 57 senior officials managed by the central government have been publicly investigated by the Chinese Communist Party this year. Senior officials managed by the central government refer to officials managed and appointed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, mostly senior officials above the deputy ministerial level.