Chinese social media accounts have been profiting by hinting at the downfall of officials under disciplinary investigation before formal announcements are made, state media has warned. This practice highlights a "grey market" surrounding Beijing's anti-corruption campaign, according to the state-run journal Banyuetan, which reported on the issue on Friday, July 18, 2026.

One common tactic involves posting an official’s resume as a coded signal that they are under investigation. Banyuetan, affiliated with the state news agency Xinhua, cited a case from July 6, 2025, when a private social media account published the detailed career history of Zhou Xianwang, a former senior official from Hubei province. Just two days later, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog announced that Zhou was under investigation.

Banyuetan noted that this sequence of events was neither coincidental nor isolated but part of a lucrative grey market where leaked information is circulated and monetized through online networks. The trend has created new challenges for Chinese law enforcement agencies tasked with managing the anti-corruption campaign.

Sources