Former Finance Commissioner Zhang Tianqiang of the Chinese Communist Party in Zhejiang Province was recently handed over to the judiciary. He was publicly accused of an unusual offense – being in a “self-withdrawal from the Party” state.
In recent days, the official announcement by the Chinese Communist Party stated that Zhang Tianqiang is under review and investigation for supervision. He was reported to have willingly become a “hunter,” actively targeting others, engaging in corruption in clubs, seducing and corrupting state employees; owning shares in non-public companies, and accepting employment from companies within the scope of his former position at the Ministry of Finance after leaving office in violation of regulations; illegally accepting large amounts of money or valuables from others; long-term failure to participate in the organizational life of the Communist Party and failure to pay Party dues after leaving office, leading to his self-withdrawal from the Party.
Zhang Tianqiang was investigated in June last year.
Unlike the usual “double opening” situation for corrupt officials, Zhang Tianqiang was “expelled from the Party” from within the Party, as he no longer held a public office and was in a “self-withdrawal from the Party” state.
According to the relevant regulations of the Chinese Communist Party Constitution, there are three ways for handling party members who are deemed unqualified, including: requiring them to correct within a stipulated period, persuading them to leave the Party, or expelling them from the Party.
If Zhang Tianqiang had not been caught, it is unlikely that he would have been discovered to have already “self-withdrawn from the Party.”