Ex-Hubei governor Wang Xiaodong faces corruption probe after Covid mask blunder
Wang Xiaodong, who infamously claimed 10.8 billion masks, now investigated for corruption.
Wang Xiaodong, the former governor of Hubei province who faced widespread ridicule over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, is now under investigation for corruption. China's top anti-graft body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), announced on Sunday that Wang, 66, is suspected of 'serious violations of discipline and law' — the standard euphemism for corruption. Wang served as Hubei's governor from 2017 to 2021 and became infamous after a January 2020 press conference where he mistakenly claimed the province could produce 10.8 billion surgical masks, later correcting to 10.8 million after an aide passed him a note.
Wang was transferred to a semi-retirement role in Beijing in June 2021 as deputy director of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee. His political career began in Jiangxi province in 1983, later rising to vice-governor in Guizhou before moving to Hubei in 2011. The corruption probe comes just one month after his subordinate, former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang, was indicted on bribery charges, signaling a widening anti-corruption sweep in the region.
- Wang Xiaodong, former Hubei governor, investigated by CCDI for 'serious violations of discipline and law'.
- He was widely mocked for claiming 10.8 billion surgical masks instead of 10.8 million during a 2020 Covid press conference.
- His downfall follows the bribery indictment of former Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang, a subordinate under Wang.
Why It Matters
High-profile corruption probe signals ongoing political accountability in China, targeting officials linked to pandemic mishandling.