(TibetanReview.net, Dec10’25) – China has listed a panoply of criminal allegations against former top Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government leader Qi Zhala on Dec 10 while announcing that he was being prosecuted for corruption and other forms of misconduct, including engaging in superstitious activities. This followed a brief announcement in Jan 2025 saying he had been placed under investigation for corruption.
Qi Zhala, a 67-year-old ethnic Tibetan, was a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and deputy head of the CPPCC National Committee’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. before the disciplinary probe was initiated.
He was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office for serious violations in July by China’s top anti-graft watchdogs, noted China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Dec 10.
Citing findings from the investigations, the report said the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision found that Qi Zhala had failed to shoulder the main responsibility of strictly governing the Party comprehensively, engaged in superficial projects for the sake of political achievements, long indulged in superstitious activities, and also resisted scrutiny into his conduct.
He exploited the convenience and conditions created by his various positions of power and authority to seek benefits for others and illegally accepted substantial amounts of property from others. The amount involved is particularly large, and he should be held criminally responsible for bribery according to the law, the statement was cited as saying.
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In specific terms, Qi Zhala was accused of having misappropriated public funds for improper receptions, accepted banquets that compromised the fair implementation of his official duties, unlawfully received gifts and money, and made arrangements to ensure that his family members also profited from his political influence, the party disciplinary and state anti-corruption commissions – which work in tandem with each other – were cited as saying.
The report continued that Qi Zhala was also discovered to have colluded with businessmen and taken advantage of his positions to seek benefits for others in matters such as job promotion, project contracting, business operation and financing for which he received large sums of money in return.
His alleged superstitious activities were not specified.
They have pointed out that Qi Zhala had seriously violated the Party’s disciplines and was suspected of duty-related crimes, leading to the decision to expel him from the Party, remove him from public office and confiscate his illicit gains.
He has now been prosecuted for suspected bribery and abuse of power, the report said, citing a statement from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP).
The SPP has decided to arrest him on charges of bribery, with prosecutors having filed a public prosecution with the Chongqing No 1 Intermediate People’s Court against him.
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Prior to his latest national-level positions, Qi Zhala, worked in the Tibetan area of Yunnan province and TAR for decades, including as the chairman of the TAR government from 2017 and 2021.
Born in Zhongdian (Tibetan: Gyalthang) County, later renamed as Shangri-La, in Yunnan province, he became the Governor of Dêqên (Dechen) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 2001 and became a provincial party standing committee member in 2010.
He was moved to TAR in Sep 2010, where he was appointed the head of its United Front Work Department and he also became the Vice Chairman of the TAR People’s Political Consultative Conference in 2011. In 2012, he was appointed as the Party Secretary of the Tibetan capital Lhasa.
On Jan 15, 2017, he was appointed the Chairman of TAR government, remaining in that position until 2021.
He was then moved to Beijing where on Oct 23, 2021, he was appointed vice chairperson of the National People’s Congress Ethnic Affairs Committee. In Mar 2023, he took the position of deputy head of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the National Committee of the CPPCC.