He was formerly the deputy director of the State Bureau for Letters and Calls (国家信访局; SBLC).
He began working as the General Office chief of the SBLC in 2000.
On November 28, 2013, Xu was abruptly dismissed from his position as deputy director.
On June 27, 2014, the party investigation concluded that Xu abused his power for the gain of associated organizations and individuals, solicited and accepted "massive bribes", and "committed adultery".
[1] In December 2015, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison, for taking bribes of over 6.1 million yuan (~$950,000), and using the convenience of his office to doctor documents related to petitions.