Chinese social media accounts ‘profit from leaking official corruption scandals’

Chinese social media accounts are profiting by hinting at the downfall of corrupt officials ahead of formal announcements, state media has warned, highlighting a “grey…

Chinese social media accounts are profiting by hinting at the downfall of corrupt officials ahead of formal announcements, state media has warned, highlighting a “grey market” around Beijing’s anti-corruption campaign.

The trend had created a new challenge for Chinese law enforcement, state-run journal Banyuetan reported on Friday.

One tactic involves posting an official’s resume as a coded signal that they are under disciplinary investigation, according to Banyuetan, which is affiliated with state news agency Xinhua.

It cited a case from a year ago involving Zhou Xianwang – a former senior official from Hubei province.

On July 6 last year, a private social media account published Zhou’s detailed career history. Just two days later, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog announced that he was under investigation.

The sequence of events was far from coincidental or isolated, Banyuetan noted, but rather part of a lucrative grey market where leaked information is circulated and monetised through online networks.

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