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Rui Chenggang
Rui Chenggang
Born	September 24, 1977 (age 47); Hefei, Anhui, China
Education	China Foreign Affairs University
Occupation(s)	Anchor; Journalist
Years active	2000–2014; 2024–

Rui Chenggang (Chinese: 芮成钢; pinyin: Ruì Chénggāng; born September 24, 1977) is a former Chinese news anchor and journalist for China Central Television.^[1] A fluent English-speaker, Rui is known for his frequent appearances at international conferences and conducting interviews with business and political leaders,^[2] sometimes in a controversial, nationalistic style.^[3]^[4]

Rui was detained for investigation in July 2014 on suspicion of taking bribes, and was released in December 2020,^[5] after which he has worked as an investor. In October 2024 he opened his YouTube channel.^[6]

Career

Rui was born in Hefei, Anhui in 1977. He went to No. 8 Middle School in Hefei, and was the president of the student council. In 1995 during Gaokao exams, Rui ranked first among social science and humanities students in his city, and ranked fourth in his province. He was admitted to the International Economics program in the English Department at China Foreign Affairs University in 1995. He represented China at the 1998 International Public Speaking Competition.

In 2000, Rui began working for CCTV-9, the state broadcaster's English language channel. Rui took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2001, and was named one of the "Global Leaders of Tomorrow". In 2005, Rui was named a Yale World Fellow, reportedly the youngest to date.^[7]

In 2007, he criticized in his blog the presence of a Starbucks shop at the Forbidden City, saying that the Starbucks invaded a site of Chinese historical heritage and argued against the "globalization" of historical sites.^[8] Starbucks eventually removed the store from the Forbidden City.^[9]

In 2008, Rui left CCTV-9 for CCTV-2, a Chinese-language channel focusing on business and economics. At CCTV-2 he gained popularity as the host for programs such as Economics Half Hour (经济半小时), Economic News (经济信息联播), and Global Economic Connection (环球经济连线). He also became known for his interviews with global leaders such as Bill Gates, Tony Blair, Yasuo Fukuda, and Bill Clinton, though sometimes in a controversial or nationalistic style.^[10] At the 2010 G20 Seoul summit, Rui attracted controversy when U.S. President Barack Obama said he would give the final question at a press conference to South Korean media, and Rui interrupted saying "I'm actually Chinese, but I think I get to represent the entire Asia".^[11]^[12] At the 2021 Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, Rui asked the then-U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke, "My colleagues told me you flew economy class here – was that a reminder that the U.S. still owes China money?"^[8]

By 2014, Rui had gathered millions of followers on various social media sites and was considered a 'star anchor' for CCTV. His fluent English speaking abilities made him a symbol of the "globalization of the economics channel of CCTV".^[10] He was also criticized by some detractors for his arrogant and aggressive style, as he was reportedly "used to the rock star lifestyle" and "has a taste for sharp [Zegna] suits and fast cars [reportedly a Jaguar]".^[12]

Arrest and disappearance

Rui was placed under investigation by Chinese prosecution authorities on July 11, 2014.^[13] The abrupt sequence of events shocked television viewers and garnered a quick and overwhelming response on social media.^[10] Apart from sporadic media reports speculating on his whereabouts, it is not clear what happened to Rui after 2014, until he was sentenced to six years in prison in 2016 for alleged corruption.^[4]^[14] On February 6, 2017, journalist Piao Baoyi posted a photo on Weibo of a notice from the Jiaohe People’s Court in Jilin Province, showing that Rui had been sentenced by the court to six years in prison in 2016 for bribery. His sentence runs from May 18, 2015, to December 11, 2020.^[15]^[16]

While many "tigers" (i.e., high-ranking officials) have been detained and prosecuted for crimes since the beginning of Xi Jinping and Wang Qishan's anti corruption drive in 2013, Rui is arguably one of the most high-profile personalities implicated in the anti-corruption campaign. Rui's longtime patron Guo Zhenxi, the head of CCTV-2, was earlier detained for alleged bribery, and Guo was part of the faction of former security chief Zhou Yongkang who was considered the biggest "tiger".^[8] It is also rumored that Rui's sexual indiscretion with the wives of party leaders might be behind his disappearance; he was reportedly close to Gu Liping, the wife of former presidential aide Ling Jihua.^[17]^[18] ^[19] Rui was reportedly released from prison on December 11, 2020.^[20]

Comeback

On October 21, 2024, after disappearing from the public eye for ten years, Rui reemerged on YouTube, which is banned in China, with a video titled "Rui Chenggang is back." In the video, he acknowledged being confined for six and a half years, but refuted rumors about his involvement in a spy case or sex scandals. Rui also stated that he now works as an investor.^[6]