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, Zhang Mingjie, the mother of Qu Wanting, stood trial as a defendant before the Harbin Intermediate People's Court on charges of embezzlement, bribery, and abuse of power. However, Zhang Mingjie did not plead guilty, and due to the flight of a key co-defendant to Canada, the case has remained unresolved. It was her daughter, Qu Wanting, who brought Zhang Mingjie's case back into the public eye.

 
 

Last year, Qu Wanting posted a Weibo message: “Six years with no result. I will keep working hard to maintain a heart that believes in justice.” This was suspected to be an appeal on behalf of her mother. However, after netizens learned about the case of her mother, Zhang Mingjie, public opinion was almost unanimously critical of the former well-known singer, accusing her of having been raised on human blood and suffering. This year, a key witness in Zhang Mingjie’s case was brought to justice, and the matter has finally been clarified.
 
It was ascertained that from 2009 to 2011, while the defendant Zhang Mingjie served as Deputy District Mayor of Daoli District Government of Harbin City and concurrently as Head of the Daoli District Restructuring Leading Group, during the merger and acquisition of the state-owned enterprise Harbin Original Seed Breeding Farm, and during the acquisition and land banking of part of the land of Harbin Original Seed Breeding Farm by the Harbin-Harbin-Qiqihar Railway Passenger Dedicated Line Engineering Construction Leading Group Office, the Harbin Land Reserve Center, and Harbin Urban Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd., Zhang engaged in favoritism and malpractice and abused his power, resulting in the unlawful acquisition of land expropriation compensation funds by the merging entity and the misuse of part of the employee resettlement funds, causing a total loss of public property amounting to more than RMB 232.59 million.
 

 
 

From November 2011 to July 2012, after using his position to secure benefits for the acquiring entity, the defendant Zhang Mingjie first demanded RMB 5 million from the entity’s actual controller under the pretext of a loan, and subsequently, together with Wang Shaoyu, demanded a 50% equity interest in the entity, which had been acquired with land from the Harbin Original Seed Breeding Farm, valued at over RMB 93.17 million. After the case was uncovered, the investigating authorities lawfully seized and froze the aforementioned entity’s assets and a portion of the illicit gains and property obtained by 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"
Article 385: 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.
Where a functionary of a State organ commits the crime mentioned in the preceding paragraph by engaging in malpractices for selfish ends, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention; if the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 10 years. Where otherwise provided for by this Law, such provisions shall be followed.
 
 
[1] The author's perspective
"You exist in my deep mind, in my heart, in my dreams, in my songs." This is the once very famous hit song "In My Songs" by Qu Wanting. With her unique voice and excellent creative talent, Qu Wanting's future was once full of promise. But who could have imagined that before her musical dreams and path to fame had even begun, she would end up in "prison" along with her mother.
 
In fact, it was Qu Wanting herself who first spoke out on social media platforms to "defend" her mother. As Qu Wanting has resided overseas for an extended period in recent years, she would post annually to express her concerns about the case and her longing for her mother, claiming her mother was innocent and expressing faith that the law would deliver a fair and just outcome. Indeed, the law did render a fair and just judgment based on the facts, and Zhang Mingjie received the punishment she deserved. Ironically, Qu Wanting never took any substantive action, instead making a yearly ritual of posting emotional reflections, which led netizens to mockingly dub her behavior "cloud filial piety." Some netizens also remarked: "She hasn't dared to return to the country even once in the six years since her mother was detained, yet she lives comfortably abroad on ill-gotten gains. She would be better off stepping forward to return the embezzled funds, which might even earn her a reduced sentence." But to this day, Zhang Mingjie has been sentenced to life imprisonment, and Qu Wanting has never stepped forward to return 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.