Han Zhanwu, deputy director and Party Leadership Group member of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), is under investigation for suspected “serious violations of Party disciplinary rules and laws,” the country’s top anti-graft bodies announced yesterday (October 12). The probe is being conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. Han, 59, has been out of the public eye for nearly a month, with his last public appearance during a research trip to Jiangsu province in early September.
Han, the highest-ranking deputy director at STMA, has previously held senior positions including Director and Party Secretary of the China National Machinery & Equipment Tendering Corporation and leadership roles within the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. He took up his current post at the STMA in April 2020. The administration, directly under the State Council, regulates China’s vast tobacco sector.
Han’s investigation continues a broader anti-corruption campaign in China’s tobacco system that began in 2021. More than 10 officials have been probed to date, including six current or former STMA leaders. Notably, Ling Chengxing, former Party Secretary and Director, received a 16-year sentence in May 2025 for bribery and abuse of power, while Deputy Director Xu Lin was reported under investigation in May this year.