Qu Wanting's path to fame was destroyed by her mother's path of bribery
Compiled from: Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission's Chang'an Sword
Case review
In July 2016, Qu Wanting's mother, Zhang Mingjie, stood trial at the Harbin Intermediate People's Court as a defendant on charges of embezzlement, bribery, and abuse of power. However, Zhang Mingjie did not plead guilty, and due to a key co-defendant fleeing to Canada, the case remained unresolved. The case was brought back into public view by her daughter, Qu Wanting.
Last year, Qu Wanting posted a Weibo message: "Six years with no result, continue to strive to keep a heart that believes in justice." This was seen as an appeal for her mother. However, after netizens learned about Zhang Mingjie's case, they overwhelmingly began to criticize the former famous singer, accusing her of being raised on "human-blood steamed buns" by her mother. This year, a key witness in Zhang Mingjie's case returned, and the matter was finally clarified.
It was found that from 2009 to 2011, during her tenure as Deputy District Chief of Daoli District, Harbin, and head of the district's restructuring leading group, Zhang Mingjie engaged in malpractice and abused her power during the acquisition of the state-owned Harbin Original Seed Breeding Farm and in the process of land acquisition and storage by the Harbin Haqi Railway Passenger Dedicated Line Project Construction Leading Group Office and the Harbin Land Reserve Center's Urban Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd. This led to illegal acquisition of land compensation funds by the acquiring entity and improper use of some employee resettlement funds, resulting in public property losses totaling over 232.59 million yuan.
From November 2011 to July 2012, after using her position to benefit the acquiring entity, Zhang Mingjie first demanded 5 million yuan from the entity's actual controller under the guise of a loan, and then, together with Wang Shaoyu, demanded a 50% equity stake in the entity, which included land from the Harbin Original Seed Breeding Farm, valued at over 93.17 million yuan. After the case was exposed, the authorities lawfully seized and froze the entity's assets and some of the illegal gains of Zhang Mingjie and Wang Shaoyu.
[1] Court Opinion
The Harbin Intermediate People's Court in Heilongjiang Province sentenced Zhang Mingjie to life imprisonment for bribery, deprived of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property; for abuse of power, she was sentenced to ten years in prison, with the final sentence being life imprisonment, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all personal property. Wang Shaoyu was sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribery and fined 3 million yuan. The illegal gains and their proceeds were ordered to be confiscated and recovered.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
[1] Article 385 Crime of Accepting Bribes
Any state functionary who, by taking advantage of their position, extorts property from another person, or illegally accepts another person’s property in exchange for securing benefits for that person, constitutes the crime of bribery.
Any state functionary who, in economic activities, violates state regulations by accepting various forms of rebates or handling fees for personal possession shall be punished as a bribe-taker.
[2] Article 397 Crime of Abuse of Power
Any state functionary who abuses their power or neglects their duty, causing significant losses to public property, the state, or the interests of the people, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years or criminal detention; if the circumstances are particularly serious, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than seven years. Where this law provides otherwise, those provisions shall apply.
Any state functionary who engages in malpractice for personal gain and commits the crime mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention; if the circumstances are particularly serious, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years. Where this law provides otherwise, those provisions shall apply.
[1] The author's perspective
[3] "You exist in the depths of my mind, in my heart, in my dreams, in my songs" — this is Qu Wanting's once very famous signature song *In My Songs*. With her unique voice and outstanding creative talent, Qu Wanting's future was once full of hope. But who would have thought that her music dream and path to fame had not even begun before she ended up in "prison" along with her mother.
[4] In fact, it was Qu Wanting herself who first spoke out on online platforms to "voice grievances" for her mother. Having lived overseas for many years, she would post every year expressing her concerns about the case and her longing for her mother, claiming her mother was innocent and trusting that the law would be fair and just. Indeed, the law made a fair and fact-based judgment, and Zhang Mingjie received the punishment she deserved. Ironically, Qu Wanting never did anything substantial, only posting her sentiments annually without fail, earning her the nickname "online filial piety" from netizens. Some netizens also said: "She didn't dare return to China once in six years after her mother was detained, yet lived lavishly abroad with ill-gotten gains. It would be better to step forward and return the stolen money, which might reduce the sentence." But to this day, Zhang Mingjie has been sentenced to life imprisonment, and Qu Wanting has never returned a single cent.
[5] In this case, whether Zhang Mingjie acted out of a mother's desire to protect her daughter or to satisfy her own extravagant lifestyle, she should not have used her public position to amass large amounts of ill-gotten wealth, harming the interests of the state and the people. In recent years, such individuals have continuously transferred ill-gotten gains overseas, waiting for the right opportunity to flee and live a carefree life beyond the reach of the law. As public officials, such actions not only deviate from the core socialist values but also run counter to the original aspirations and mission of the Communist Party members. They must face severe punishment under national law and party discipline, paying the due price for their illegal and disciplinary violations.
