Recently, the Liupanshui Intermediate People's Court in Guizhou Province publicly announced the first-instance verdict in the case of Li Zhiming, former Party Secretary and Chairman of BANK OF GUIZHOU, for bribery and illegal loan issuance. Li Zhiming was sentenced to 16 years and 6 months in prison and fined RMB 2.7 million.
**Illegal Loans Exceeding RMB 300 Million** On December 4, the court sentenced Li Zhiming to 14 years in prison and a fine of RMB 2.5 million for bribery, and 5 years and 6 months in prison plus a fine of RMB 200,000 for illegal loan issuance. The combined sentence totals 16 years and 6 months with a fine of RMB 2.7 million. The illicit gains from bribery and related interest will be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury, with any shortfall to be further recovered.
The court found that from 2013 to 2023, Li Zhiming abused his positions—including Vice President of Hubei Bank and Party Secretary and Chairman of BANK OF GUIZHOU—to assist certain entities and individuals in obtaining loans, illegally accepting bribes worth over RMB 43.1 million, some of which were not actually received.
Between 2018 and 2020, while serving as Party Secretary and Chairman of BANK OF GUIZHOU, Li Zhiming knowingly approved loans totaling RMB 304 million for companies that did not meet lending criteria, violating laws and causing significant losses.
**Three-Year Tenure at BANK OF GUIZHOU** Li Zhiming, 64, began his banking career in 1982, holding roles such as auditor at Agricultural Bank of China’s Jingzhou Branch and deputy section chief at its Hubei Branch office. In 2011, he became Assistant President of Shenzhen Development Bank’s Wuhan Branch. He joined Hubei Bank as Assistant President in March 2012 and was promoted to Vice President in 2016.
In December 2017, he was appointed Party Secretary and Chairman-designate of BANK OF GUIZHOU, officially assuming the role from April 2018 to January 2021.
Li Zhiming resigned as Chairman and Executive Director in January 2021, citing "arrangements by the Guizhou provincial government."
Two years after stepping down, Li Zhiming came under investigation. In October 2023, he was probed for severe disciplinary violations by the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and was expelled from the Party in September 2024.
**Anti-Corruption Sweep in Financial Sector** The crackdown on financial corruption continues, with multiple executives of BANK OF GUIZHOU implicated.
On November 25, Li Keyong, former senior manager of the bank’s Security Management Department, was investigated for serious disciplinary violations.
In 2024, other senior figures, including former Chief Expert Wang Xiangdong, former President Xu An, and former Zhou Chunlin of Luodian Branch, were also probed.
Notably, Xu An served as President of BANK OF GUIZHOU from April 2018 to March 2024, overlapping with Li Zhiming’s tenure. Xu was investigated in May 2024 and expelled from the Party and public office in February 2025.
**About BANK OF GUIZHOU** Established in October 2012, BANK OF GUIZHOU is a major state-owned enterprise under Guizhou Province. It listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2019, becoming the province’s second listed city commercial bank. According to its Q3 2025 financial report, the bank posted revenue of RMB 8.746 billion and net profit of RMB 3.105 billion in the first three quarters.
