Translated below, a recent post by Chinese blogger Chu Zhaoxian (储昭贤) reveals a lesser-known, and arguably equally ruthless, tactic primarily used for dealing with Party members accused of corruption: shuanggui (双规). People facing shuanggui, which can be translated as “dual designation” and refers to a designated time and place of inquiry, are usually apprehended at their places of work or summoned for “voluntary visits” with investigators. They are then held in an undisclosed location, often a specially designed hotel or office building. There have been reports of psychological manipulation and physical torture during detention and interrogation, such as sleep deprivation, simulated drowning, burning the detainee’s skin with cigarettes, and beating. Since shuanggui is rooted in Party regulations instead of formal legislation, it is a form of extra-legal detention. Because such regulations lack the transparency afforded by a legal system, the extent to which human rights violations are committed during shuanggui is not well documented.
Despite its susceptibility to human rights violations, shuanggui gained the unashamed support of Chu, who assumes the same disposition of his readers. In the post, Chu describes his rare visit to a shuanggui investigation facility. The circumstances that led to the visit are unexplained; however, the trip does result in the publication of what Dui Hua believes to be the first photographic exposé of the inside of a shuanggui investigation facility.
Throughout his cold description of the rooms and instruments used for detention and interrogation, Chu drops menacing words of caution for the corrupt. He states that corrupt officials tremble with fear at the mention of shuanggui and do not make it three days before confessing. Chu ends the post with another warning: “Do not be invited here. If you come here, your days will seem like years. There is no rank before the law.”
Chu may be correct that “days will seem like years.” Shuanggui usually lasts several months and can extend to more than one year. Some shuanggui cases, particularly high-profile ones, are converted into criminal cases and adjudicated through the formal judicial process. The typical sentence is death or life imprisonment, with all property confiscated and official positions revoked. The following table summarizes some recent cases:
Name | Position held prior to shuanggui | Alleged offenses | Start of shuanggui | Criminal sentence, date of sentence |
Chen Shaoji | Chairman, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Guangdong Province | Accepting bribes, embezzlement | Apr 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Jul 2010 |
Huang Yao | Chairperson, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Guizhou Province | Accepting bribes, facilitating an illegal mining enterprise | Oct 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Dec 2010 |
Kang Rixin | Party Secretary and General Manager, China National Nuclear Corporation; former member, Committee for Discipline Inspection | Accepting bribes, embezzling shareholder equity | Aug 2009 | Life imprisonment, Nov 2010 |
Li Tangtang | Vice Chairman, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region | Accepting bribes | Oct 2010 | Life imprisonment, Apr 2011 |
Liu Zhijun | Party Secretary, National Railway Ministry | “Severe violations of discipline,” manipulating competitive bidding | Feb 2011 | Pending |
Lü Jiangbo | Village Director, Keren Village, Jinjiang City, Fujian Province | “Obstructing official business” (organizing village protests of land seizure) | Feb 2010 | 11 years’ imprisonment, Oct 2010 |
Pi Qiansheng | Director, Special Economic Zone, Tianjin Municipality | Illegal receipt of property, “seeking and facilitating benefits for others” | Jun 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Dec 2010 |
Song Yong | Deputy Director, Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress | Accepting bribes, embezzlement | Oct 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Jan 2011 |
Wang Huayuan | Member, Party Committee for Discipline Inspection, Zhejiang Province | Accepting bribes | Apr 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Sep 2010 |
Xu Zhongheng | Mayor, Shenzhen | Accepting bribes | Jun 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, May 2011 |
Zhang Meifang | Deputy Director, Department of Finance, Jiangsu Province | Accepting bribes | Nov 2010 | Pending |
Zheng Shaodong | Assistant Department Head, Ministry of Public Security; member, Party Committee | Accepting bribes | Jan 2009 | Death sentence, suspended two years, Sep 2010 |
Zhu Zhigang | Director, Commission for Budget Affairs of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress | Accepting bribes, abusing position to advantage others financially, manipulating real estate prices | Oct 2008 | Life imprisonment, May 2010 |
Sadly, acceptance of shuanggui seems to have seeped into international human rights circles and resulted in a dearth of relevant research and advocacy. While stamping out corruption is a worthy cause, it by no means warrants extra-legal detention, torture, or lack of transparency and rule of law.
Endnote: Days after publication, Chu’s article was deleted along with all but one of its re-postings. The remaining post contained none of the original photos and has since been deleted.
Chu Zhaoxian
April 28, 2011
A popular saying among Chinese government officials goes: “Fear not the heavens or the earth, but fear the summons of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s Anti-Corruption Office.”
I had a rare opportunity to visit a shuanggui anti-corruption investigation facility. There was no advance notice that I would be brought to this place. When the car reached the highway exit of another city, a police car appeared in front of us and led the way. We were driven through rugged and muddy mountain roads, until we were well within remote mountains. Getting out of the car, I looked around and saw nothing but the desolate mountains. We entered an ordinary-looking courtyard and stopped before a small building, where People’s Armed Police were standing guard.
On the other side, a leader led us into the building and through the security check machines. Not until we passed the security check could we start to move about normally.
Shuanggui stems from Article 28, Section 3 of the Investigations Regulations of the Ministry of Supervision of the Communist Party of China, which “demands a person relevant to a case to appear at a designated time and place to provide explanations regarding all aspects of the case.”






The Central Committee for Discipline Inspection’s shuanggui system makes all problem officials tremble with fear. It is also known as “the sharp sword for punishing corrupt officials.”






I heard that all corrupt officials who are summoned to the investigation facility have their contemptuous behavior exposed. Living under shuanggui is what they fear most. Within three days, they will confess.
Due to special reasons, some photographs and descriptions have been left out. [Here is] a warning for government officials to bear in mind: The power in your hands is given by the people for seeking the benefit of the people. Do not betray the people’s trust. Be a good official with both competence and integrity. Do not be invited here. If you come here, your days will seem like years. There is no rank before the law.