Key facts
- Former Changzhi mayor Chen Xiangyang is under investigation for suspected severe violations of discipline and law.
- The investigation follows a deadly coal mine disaster in May at the Liushenyu Coal Mine, which killed 82 people.
- Chen Xiangyang resigned as mayor earlier this month.
- Multiple officials connected to mine safety supervision in Shanxi province are also under investigation.
- The State Council has established an investigation team to probe the causes and responsibilities of the mine disaster.
A broad anti-corruption investigation has led to the probe of Chen Xiangyang, the former mayor of Changzhi city in northern Shanxi province, following one of China's deadliest coal mine disasters in over a decade. Chen is suspected of "severe violations of discipline and law," according to the provincial disciplinary watchdog, and is undergoing internal party review and a government investigation.
The investigation into Chen, who stepped down as mayor earlier this month, was announced on July 30. The deadly gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine, operated by Tongzhou Group in Qinyuan county, occurred on May 22, killing 82 people and leaving two missing. At the time, Chen, as mayor, briefed the public on the accident and offered an apology.
Following the disaster, the State Council established an investigation team, led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into corporate responsibility, local government accountability, and supervisory oversight failures. This wider probe has led to investigations into numerous officials connected with mine safety supervision in Shanxi. This includes officials from the Shanxi bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration, such as its head Hu Haijun, and Zhang Wenbo, the Party chief and director of the Changzhi Emergency Management Bureau.
Several officials at the county level in Qinyuan, where the mine is located, have also come under scrutiny, including successive county Party chiefs and deputy heads responsible for coal mining and workplace safety. Chen, 57, has a career spanning various positions in Shanxi, including vice-mayor of Taiyuan and deputy head of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Finance, before becoming mayor of Changzhi in 2023. His proposed promotion to city Party chief in May was not implemented.