This has just been shared by WPBSA/WST:
WPBSA Statement | 3 January 2023
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson has taken the decision to suspend Zhao Xintong and Zhang Jiankang from attending or competing on the World Snooker Tour with immediate effect.
This decision is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of manipulating the outcome of matches for betting purposes in breach of the WPBSA Conduct Regulations.
The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought. Both Zhao and Zhang have the right to appeal this decision.
The WPBSA can confirm that the wider investigation is now at an advanced stage, and it is anticipated will be completed shortly at which point any potential charges will be considered.
No further comment will be made at this time, except in the event of any significant further developments.
This is a nightmare. This is just horrible.
I can only suppose that Zhao will no be replaced by whoever was ranked 18th after the UK Championship.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Santino you’re being ridiculous. National associations have almost amd in some cases absolutely zero affiliation with a player once they turn pro. Turning pro is an employment contract between World Snooker and an individual.
You cannot ban a nation based on the actions of individuals, this is not a government organised sports team like the Olympics.
Also there’s been plenty of UK players caught in debacles like this and I didn’t see you calling for all the English to be banned haha you’d wipe out 90% of the tour.
Santino is right about the unhealthy “pressure” on Chinese sportspeople. Most of them are taught from the moment they pick up a sport to do what the “teachers” think is right. And this mindset seems to stay with many. And that brings curruption with it ofc.
Well, maybe it’s not the Chinese “mindset” what’s the problem here after all. Maybe their integration into the UK was just too properly done, which introduced them to the great heritage of betting it has.
Santino is right. This all reads like the complete opposite of what we thought would happen when the class of 92 would have been retired. Instead of the Chinese take over the tour, most are leaving it for now.
No Santino is NOT right. We have to wait for the results of the investigation. And punish players who have done nothing wrong because fellow citizens cheated is totally unfair.
brilliant. wipe out these c*nts. I would also impose a ban on any Chinese player entering any event until we know what the f*ck is going on
This would be completely unfair on those who did nothing wrong and until we know the full facts we should refrain to pass judgements. There is nothing brilliant in this situation. The sport could suffer badly for years if it loses the confidence of potential sponsors.
but it’s not passing judgements. if it was all the Sicilians involved in match fixing I would be the first to call for a ban on Sicilian participation. there is obviously something systemic going on. let’s not be naive, please. so yes, all the Chinese should be should be banned as a matter of precaution until this is dealt with
Definitely not. Yes, there seems to be something systematic going on but that doesn’t mean that all Chinese players are involved. You can be certain that all matches involving Chinese players will be doubly carefully scrutinised. That’s the precaution that is needed, not punishing players who, as far as we know have done nothing wrong. And even those who implicated are presumably innocent until proven guilty.
brilliant idea, let’s just let them keep cheating until the end of times without any precautions
This is complete nonsense. First of all because, all their matches will be closely monitored and they will know it, so they won’t cheat unless they are under such threat that they would rather risk their career than their life, or their family safety. For the record there is precedent: James Wattana’s father was shot dead by people who wanted to force his son to “collaborate” with them. And IF such a threat exists, then, definitely, the priority must be to unmask them and put an end to it, otherwise they will just continue with other players, likely the young and vulnerable … until the end of time. That would be more important than punishing their victims. And anyway this inquiry won’t last much longer now so your “end of time” is pretty close.
what guarantees that this inquiry will prevent further cheating? as far as I’m concerned it was a mistake in the first place to embrace a deeply rotten and corrupt communist dictatorship that has a long history of cheating in sports and manipulating and exploiting their young athletes. why did World Snooker never think that flooding the tour with the Chinese will bring crazy corruption? they are just so naive
That’s enough Santino. Worldsnooker was more than happy to take the money China did put into the game. I’m asking you to stop those comments NOW and to wait, like the rest of us, for the outcome of the inquiry and the decisions taken as a result. Not all Chinese are corrupt cheaters, just like not all Scicilians are mafiosi.
why am I wrong to criticize the Chinese sports administration that is well known to be corrupt and unethical?
these are concerns we should all be raising
I’m just asking you to leave it there for now and wait for what the inquiry will reveal. I’m not defending the Chinese Sport administration. I’m just asking everyone to no pass judgement on those currently suspended until the inquiry is over. If they are found guilty they need to be punished and if it’s an organised network behind this, it needs to be dismantled. But for now, we don’t know the full facts and we should certainly refrain to put everyone in the same basket.
Sad that Ronnie’s best friends are being suspended.
Who’s next: Jimmy White? Robbie Huxley? Steve Peters?
How often did they say now that no further comment will be made?
well they are not making comments… just more statements. 😟😟
Yeah, that’s what I meant…
not know if some those guys are similar cases of Jamie Jones or they themselves into the fixing.(not reporting clues to the board.).
I am really surprised Zhao is also suspended.(however, the possibility is irrelevant to his background, considering the possible underground bet is unpredictable- I am not surprised if it turns out to be over a billion.)
Hope the truth will be revealed within the season.(or they just fell off from the tour.)
Hossein Vafaei was 18th after the UK Championship.
Xiao Guodong is now the third highest ranked Chinese player after Ding and Yuelong, when you remove the suspended players.