"Mistress-Gate" in China

More tidbits to add on to the ongoing Chinese Communist Party Congress. But take these with a huge pinch of salt!

According to a lengthy analysis in an American Chinese newspaper, the "resignation"of former Finance Minister Jin Renqing (金人庆) prior to the congress was part of a wider "plot." While many senior officials were reportedly involved in the "plot", another group of pivotal players were the mistresses of these senior officials.

Having mistresses is nothing new among senior Chinese officials. In the case of Jin Renqing, his wife was said to be suffering from mental illness, and he reportedly had an "unhappy family life." Since officials above the rank of vice-governor must seek the permission of the central authorities before they can divorce, Jin was said to be grossly unhappy as his approval for divorce was approved only in 2005.

But more than just the age-old trend of powerful men having mistresses, writer Chai Zhengren (柴铮仁) cited sources who argued that these mistresses "do not just have pretty faces and attractive figures."

In the case of an unnamed senior official in Chongqing (重庆) who failed to deliver "concrete benefits" to his mistress who had connections to the property market, the mistress was said to have reported him to the Central Disciplinary Inspection Committee for corruption.

Furthermore, mistresses are also getting more resilient and resourceful. After their "backers" had fallen from grace, again mainly due to corruption, some had even found new "backers."

One example cited was the former mistress of former Yunnan (云南) governor Li Jiating (李嘉廷) who was sentenced to death for corruption. Also bearing the surname Li (李), the mistress later found not just one, but several "backers" - besides Jin Renqing, there were also Du Shicheng (杜世成), Chen Tonghai (陈同海) and Yu Zhengsheng (俞正声).

Another example cited was Zhao Lihong (赵丽红), former mistress of former Beijing vice-mayor Wang Baosen (王宝森), who reportedly zipped around in a Porsche before Wang was arrested. After Wang was sentenced, Zhao was reportedly imprisoned for an unidentified period of time. But after her release, she found another "backer" - China Bank vice-president Zhao Ange (赵安歌). Even though Zhao Ange knew about Zhao's past, he was happy to ply her with loads of money. Indeed, Chai revealed that it was under Zhao's "influence" that Zhao Ange's corruption had "escalated." Zhao Ange was eventually arrested and sentenced, while Zhao escaped to the United States with loads of cash.

Turning to the impact of "mistress-gate" on the 17th party congress, Chai cited sources who argued that the scandals were deliberately investigated and unveiled by Politburo Standing Committee member Wu Guanzheng (吴官正, pictured right), because Wu knew he was going to step down from power anyway. Hence, he wished to "leave behind an image of being upright and for being an anti-corruption fighter."

This was especially in light of earlier speculations that either Jin Renqing or Yu Zhengsheng might be appointed to the post of vice-president. So it might be a case of "someone out there" wanting to smear the names of both Jin and Yu.

As Chai concluded: "以上这些事实说明, 高官情妇问题, 不是某个官员的生活作风, 道德品质问题, 甚至也不是一般的以权谋色, 性腐败问题, 而散发出很浓厚的阴谋气味, "公共情妇", "高官职业情人", 都是权利者与利益集团互相勾结, 又互相控制, 然后去影响中国政治, 经济, 文化等重大决策的鬼蜮手段之一."

("The facts above had clearly stated that the issue of senior officials having mistresses is not just a lifestyle problem, a moral issue, nor an issue involving the usual trading of power for sex. Rather, there is a strong whiff of conspiracy in the air. "Public mistresses" and "professional lovers of senior officials" are products of the mutual collaborations and control between those in power and the various interest groups. These sinister collaborations would in turn influence important decisions in Chinese politics, economics, and culture.")