Former Changzhi mayor under investigation for suspected violations

Chen Xiangyang, the former deputy Party chief and mayor of Changzhi, Shanxi province, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of Party discipline and national laws, provincial anti-graft authorities announced on Thursday.

Chen is being investigated by the Shanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the provincial commission of supervision. The announcement did not provide further details or specify whether the investigation was directly related to a deadly coal mine accident in the city in May.

On May 22, a major gas explosion occurred at the Liushenyu Coal Mine, operated by Tongzhou Group in Qinyuan county, Changzhi, killing 82 people and leaving two missing. At a news conference held by the Changzhi city government the following day, Chen, then the city's mayor, briefed the public on the accident and bowed in apology.

Following the accident, the State Council established an investigation team led by the Ministry of Emergency Management. The team was tasked with conducting a comprehensive inquiry into the company's primary responsibility, the local government's administrative responsibility, and the supervision and oversight responsibilities of relevant authorities.

Before the accident, the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Shanxi Provincial Committee had announced in early May that Chen was being considered for appointment as the city's Party chief. The proposed promotion was not subsequently implemented. Chen resigned as mayor of Changzhi in early July. His investigation was announced less than a month after his resignation.

Chen, 57, a native of Shanxi, began working in 1991 and joined the CPC in March 2001. He spent much of his career in Shanxi, serving in positions including vice-mayor of Taiyuan and deputy head of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Finance. He became mayor of Changzhi in 2023.

A number of officials connected with mine safety supervision in Shanxi have come under investigation since the accident. Several officials from the Shanxi bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration, including its head Hu Haijun, a deputy head Zhang Chengzhi, and its chief engineer Li Zhongyou, have been investigated. Zhang Heping, deputy head of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Emergency Management, and Zhang Wenbo, Party chief and head of the Changzhi Emergency Management Bureau, have also been investigated.

In Qinyuan county, where the mine is located, three successive county Party chiefs have come under investigation. Authorities are also examining long-standing problems related to coal mine resource consolidation and routine safety supervision. Officials under investigation at the county level also include deputy county heads responsible for coal mining and workplace safety, the head of the county emergency management bureau, and several law enforcement officials.

The State Council investigation team is continuing to examine the causes of the accident and determine the responsibilities of the company, local authorities, and regulatory departments.