From Public Office to Fugitive: The $423 Million Corruption Saga of Former Deputy Mayor Li Chuanliang

How did a low-level Chinese bureaucrat amass over $400 million and escape?

Li Chuanliang, former deputy mayor of a smaller city in Heilongjiang, is set to be tried in absentia, according to a full-page announcement by the regional court.

During the early 2010s, Li Chuanliang, who served as the deputy mayor of Jixi in Heilongjiang province, is alleged to have taken bribes and misappropriated public funds amounting to approximately 3.6 billion yuan (US$423 million).

Information regarding the corruption allegations against 61-year-old Li was released just last week, six years subsequent to his departure overseas, potentially to the United States.

On October 11, the Mudanjiang Intermediate People’s Court disclosed that investigators had uncovered proof of misconduct in the case.

The court stated that Li's unlawfully obtained profits would be confiscated following the trial, which is scheduled to take place after a six-month period of public notification.

According to a full-page announcement in People's Court Daily, the official publication of the national judicial system, his family and other stakeholders, including claimants of the seized assets, can choose whether to attend the trial during this period.