Former Inner Mongolia official prosecuted for suspected bribery

Wang Lixia, former chairwoman of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is being prosecuted for suspected bribery, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Wednesday.

The case was investigated by the National Commission of Supervision and later transferred to procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution. The SPP approved Wang's arrest on suspicion of taking bribes and designated the Daqing people's procuratorate in Heilongjiang province to handle the case. The Daqing procuratorate has recently filed a public prosecution case against Wang with the Daqing Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors accuse Wang of using the convenience of her former positions and the influence derived from her authority and status to seek benefits for others and illegally accept a particularly large amount of money and valuables.

The alleged offenses took place while Wang served in several posts, including as mayor of Tongchuan in Shaanxi province, vice-governor of Shaanxi, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Committee, head of the regional united front work department, Party chief of Hohhot, deputy Party chief of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and chairwoman of the regional government.

Prosecutors said Wang should be held criminally liable for bribery. During the review and prosecution stage, prosecutors informed Wang of her litigation rights, questioned her and listened to the opinions of her defense counsel, the SPP said.

Wang, born in June 1964 in Jianping, Liaoning province, is of Mongolian ethnicity. She began working in 1985 and joined the CPC in 1992.

She worked for many years in Shaanxi, serving as head of the provincial statistics bureau, mayor of Tongchuan and vice-governor of the province.

In 2016, she was transferred to Inner Mongolia, where she held a number of senior positions, becoming chairwoman of the regional government in September 2021.

Wang was placed under investigation in August 2025 and resigned as chairwoman of the regional government in September that year. In February 2026, she was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office, and her case and related assets were transferred to procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution.

In February, anti-corruption authorities criticized Wang in a statement for paying lip service to the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee while acting at her own discretion, indulging in vanity and pleasure-seeking, and improperly interfering in judicial activities.

They also accused her of failing to properly supervise and educate her family members, and of seeking benefits for others in areas such as cadre selection and appointment, project approvals and construction contracting.