China Local Finance Chief's Killing Sparks Shock And Speculation

The killing of a key financial official in the central Chinese province of Hunan has triggered a flurry of speculation in the country's media and online platforms, Cissy Zhou reported for Nikkei News.

Liu Wenjie, who headed the budget department and financial supervision bureau in Hunan, was killed at the official residence of the local finance bureau on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. I Photo: Hunan Provincial Department of Finance

Liu Wenjie, who headed the budget department and financial supervision bureau in Hunan, was killed at the official residence of the local finance bureau on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.

Two male suspects, aged 35 and 31, both surnamed Jiang, also died after falling from an upper floor of the building, according to a statement from local police. With the deaths of the suspects, police now face a dead end in investigating the killing.

The strange murder has rattled not only Hunan but also other Chinese local governments, which have been mulling ways to profit from Beijing’s order for them to buy housing units from bankrupt property developers and sell them at low prices to Chinese buyers.

Moreover, Chinese provinces have been grappling with high unemployment as overqualified college graduates refuse to accept lower-paying jobs.