The Liuzhi system has been criticized for its lack of transparency and oversight, with detainees often being held for up to six months without legal representation or family visits. A criminal defense lawyer has reported that detainees still face abuse and coercion in Liuzhi custody, with most succumbing to pressure and agony.

 

 

 

 

China has expanded its network of specialised detention facilities to more than 200 nationwide, designed to interrogate suspects in Xi Jinping's growing anti-corruption campaign, CNN reported.

These new centres, part of the country's broader crackdown, now target not only Communist Party members but also figures from various public sectors, including private entrepreneurs and administrators in schools and hospitals.

Since Xi took power in 2012, his anti-graft campaign has swiftly removed corrupt officials and political rivals, consolidating his control over the party and military. Now in his third term, Xi has institutionalised this crackdown, making it a permanent fixture of his leadership.

The newly expanded detention system, named "Liuzhi" or "retention in custody," involves facilities with padded cells and 24/7 surveillance, where detainees can be held for up to six months without legal representation or family visits. This is a continuation of a system previously used to intimidate and control party members.

Historically, the Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) had used secretive detention methods to interrogate suspected officials, with no legal counsel or family access.

In 2018, amidst criticism over abuse and forced confessions, Xi abolished the "Shuanggui" system but did not end secret detention. Instead, he codified it under the newly established National Supervisory Commission (NSC), which merged with the CCDI and extended its powers to all public sectors.

Despite the formalisation, the Liuzhi system retains many of the features of its predecessor, including prolonged detention incommunicado and lack of oversight. A criminal defence lawyer who has worked on corruption cases involving Chinese officials told CNN that detainees still face abuse and coercion in Liuzhi custody.

"Most of them would succumb to the pressure and agony. Those who resisted until the end were a tiny minority," the lawyer said.

Liuzhi, the detention system introduced by Xi Jinping, casts a much broader net than its predecessor, Shuanggui. It targets not just Communist Party members, but anyone exercising "public power," including civil servants, school and hospital administrators, and even state-owned enterprise managers. It can also detain individuals linked to corruption cases, such as businessmen suspected of bribing officials under investigation, reported CNN.

High-profile detainees include billionaire investment banker Bao Fan and former soccer star Li Tie, who was sentenced to 20 years for corruption this month. Over the past two years, at least 127 senior executives of publicly listed firms have been detained under Liuzhi, many from private businesses, according to company reports.

State media argue that the expanded jurisdiction addresses long-standing gaps in the anti-corruption campaign, targeting everyday abuse of power in the public sector, such as bribes in hospitals or misused school funds. Critics, however, see this as another example of Xi tightening the party's control over the state and society.

Between 2017 and November 2024, at least 218 Liuzhi centres have been built, renovated, or expanded, according to CNN's review of public government documents. The actual number may be higher, as many local governments do not publish or delete tender notices.