Chinese President Xi Jinping (Getty)
Leaks about impending corruption investigations are spreading across Chinese social media, giving officials time to hide evidence and investors a chance to profit while exposing vulnerabilities in the Communist Party’s secretive disciplinary system.
The leaks present a challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, which has disciplined more than 7 million people since he took power in 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“A small number of officials leak information in violation of regulations,” Banyuetan, a magazine published by the official Xinhua News Agency, said in a July report. “This data is then resold through online groups, passing through multiple hands, thus forming a covert and illicit supply chain.”
Banyuetan said social media accounts have been “predicting” officials’ downfall by posting biographical profiles or using homophones and coded language.
Some operators charge from a few dollars to $56 for access to chat groups, while others pursue advertising revenue or platform payments.
“Some even exaggerate corruption details and fabricate scandals to attract traffic,” the magazine said.
Advance warnings could allow investigation targets to destroy evidence, transfer illicit assets, or flee. Insiders could maneuver for soon-to-be-vacant posts, while traders could buy or sell shares expected to move after an investigation becomes public.
“Anti-corruption investigations are conducted with a high degree of secrecy, and given the central role of anticorruption in China’s elite politics, there is persistent demand for insider information from individuals motivated by political curiosity, commercial interests, or risk management,” said Ling Li, a lecturer in Chinese politics and law at the University of Vienna.
“The selective and premature disclosure of investigative information might have been used to signal to potential bribers” that some party insiders are willing to trade privileged information for private gain, Li said.
The campaign continues to reach senior officials.
Former Xinjiang regional government Vice Chairman Chen Weijun was expelled from the party and dismissed from public office on June 8.
Former Vice Minister of Water Resources Tian Xuebin received the same penalties on July 23.
Chinese authorities accused both men of serious disciplinary and legal violations.
China’s anti-graft authority said 183,000 people were penalized during the first quarter of 2026, including 56 officials at the provincial or ministerial level.
Authorities also opened 245,000 cases and investigated 9,066 people suspected of offering bribes.
“Anti-corruption efforts mustn’t be exploited, and the chaotic practice of ‘hyping up corruption’ must be curbed,” a Sichuan Communist Party newspaper said.
Authorities in Guizhou province have shut down accounts, but Banyuetan found that some operators migrated from messaging services to short-video platforms.
The magazine said legal gray areas complicate enforcement because posting an official’s publicly available biography may not constitute leaking state secrets or fabricating a rumor.
Beijing also launched Operation Sky Net 2026 in April to repatriate corruption fugitives and recover illicit assets, extending an overseas pursuit program begun in 2015 as part of Xi’s long-running campaign against official graft.
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