Shanxi governor under probe

Jin Xiangjun, governor of Shanxi province, is under investigation after he was accused of seriously violating Party disciplines and national laws, according to an official statement released on Saturday by the country's top anticorruption bodies.

The announcement, jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, did not provide further details regarding the nature of the allegations.

Jin, a 60-year-old native of Hunan province, joined the CPC in 1984 and began his professional career in 1990. Over the years, he held various key positions in the provinces of Sichuan and Hainan, and in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. In early 2018, he was appointed deputy mayor of Tianjin. He was named governor of Shanxi in January 2023.

Jin presided over a provincial government executive meeting on Thursday, just two days before the investigation was made public. According to Shanxi Daily, the meeting focused on implementing rectification measures following a State Council safety inspection report and discussed the establishment of a provincial fund aimed at revitalizing the manufacturing sector.

On Wednesday, Jin also took part in a voluntary tree-planting activity in Taiyuan, the provincial capital, alongside other provincial officials and local residents.

Jin is the 15th official managed by the central authorities to be placed under investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection this year. He is also the third official at the ministerial level to be investigated since January, following Qi Zhala, former chairman of the Xizang autonomous regional government, and Jiang Chaoliang, former Party chief of Hubei province.

Notably, Jin is the first sitting provincial governor to face scrutiny since the 20th CPC National Congress in late 2022.

On Saturday evening, shortly after the announcement, the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee held an expanded meeting. The meeting, presided over by provincial Party chief Tang Dengjie, was attended by senior officials from the provincial people's congress, government, political advisory body, as well as judicial departments.

According to Shanxi Daily, officials who attended the meeting voiced unanimous support for the CPC Central Committee's decision, expressing firm backing for the ongoing disciplinary review and supervision investigation.

The meeting underscored the importance of drawing lessons from the case, reinforcing anti-corruption efforts and upholding integrity in governance. Officials were urged to remain loyal, disciplined and accountable, and to carry out their duties with fairness, transparency and dedication to public service.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn