Yi used his position to gain personal benefits by favoring third parties in areas such as promotions, approvals of initial public offerings, and the granting of loans, in exchange for bribes, according to a statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission.
Authorities also stated that Yi improperly accepted gifts and money, participated in banquets and trips that compromised the impartiality of his duties, and engaged in “exchanges of power for sex and money,” one of the most serious charges in such cases.
The CCDI emphasized that Yi “lost his ideals and convictions,” “betraying his original mission,” and continued these practices despite the anti-corruption campaign the Chinese government has been promoting since 2012.
As a result of the investigation, Yi was expelled from the CCP, removed from all public offices, and his illicit proceeds will be confiscated, with the case being referred to the Procuratorate for possible criminal prosecution.
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Yi, 61, served as chairman of the CSRC from 2019 to 2024 and had a long career in the financial sector, having previously served as chairman of ICBC, the world’s largest bank by assets.
Since September 2025, Yi had been under investigation following the announcement of a disciplinary review, although the details of the alleged crimes had not been disclosed until then.
The anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi Jinping in 2012 has already resulted in the conviction of several high-ranking officials for involvement in bribery, and is considered one of the greatest threats to the CCP, according to the Chinese President himself.
