In the past week, three mid-level officials in China have been investigated, including Zhao Jinyun, Deputy Governor of Gansu Province, Zhang Xiaolian, former Minister of the Organization Department of Heilongjiang Province, and Liu Mancang, former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Henan Province. In addition, Gao Peng, a post-70s official and former Vice Mayor of Beijing, was also investigated.
Zhao Jinyun, Deputy Governor of Gansu Province, was announced to be under investigation for serious violations of laws and regulations on October 25, according to the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Zhao, born in 1965 in Minqin, Gansu Province, has held various positions in the government and state-owned enterprises before becoming the Deputy Governor of Gansu in December 2022. He is the 50th mid-level official investigated publicly by the CCDI this year.
Before Zhao Jinyun’s investigation, on June 12, Yang Zixing, former member of the Gansu Provincial Government and Deputy Governor, was also announced to be under investigation. Yang, 65 years old, previously held key positions in Gansu Province before retiring in 2018.
On October 21, Zhang Xiaolian, former Minister of the Organization Department of Heilongjiang Province and Deputy Director of the Economic Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was officially placed under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law. Zhang is the 49th mid-level official to be investigated this year.
Another official investigated is Liu Mancang, former Deputy Secretary and Deputy Director of the Party Committee of the Henan Provincial People’s Congress. Liu, born in Xixia, Henan, in 1955, had a long career in various government positions before being investigated this year.
In addition, Gao Rongkun, who served as Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Henan Province, was investigated in June 2021 and later sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption.
Furthermore, in February this year, Yuan Hegang, former Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Henan Provincial Committee and a first-level inspector, was investigated for violating laws and regulations.
The investigation has also implicated several subordinates who worked under Liu Mancang during his tenure in Shangqiu, including Zeng Zhaobao, Zhang Shixun, and Liu Huisheng.
On October 22, Gao Peng, former Vice Mayor of Beijing, was announced to be under investigation for serious violations, including academic fraud, illegal stock trading, and abuse of power for personal gain. Gao, born in Fengcheng, Liaoning, in 1972, had a diverse career in Beijing before being investigated in April this year.
Gao served in various roles in Beijing, including as Vice District Head, District Head, and District Committee Secretary in Fengtai and Shunyi districts, as well as Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission. He was also responsible for the management of Tiananmen Square security, a position that drew attention during an incident in March.
During the National People’s Congress in March, a man drove a car into the main gate of Zhongnanhai, shouting “Communist Party murderers” before being arrested. It remains uncertain whether Gao’s position in managing Tiananmen Square contributed to his investigation.