On October 25, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of China announced that Zhao Jinyun, the Vice Governor of Gansu Province, is under investigation for serious violations of duty.

Zhao Jinyun, born in October 1965, holds a Master’s degree in Science and is a Senior Economist. She began her career at the Gansu Provincial Land and Resources Department and then served as the Deputy General Manager of the Gansu Provincial Highway, Aviation, and Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., as well as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Gansu Civil Aviation Airport Group Co., Ltd.

In 2018, Zhao became the General Manager of the Readers Publishing Group Co., Ltd. She was appointed Vice Governor of Gansu Province in December 2022, just before the investigation commenced. According to the Gansu provincial government’s official website, she was responsible for various sectors, including civil affairs, work for the disabled, health, disease prevention and control, medical security, market supervision, sports, cultural heritage research, and local history.

The Readers Publishing Group served as a significant milestone in Zhao’s career, as her role there as General Manager led to her promotion to Vice Governor. Notably, prior to her investigation, two chairpersons of the Readers Publishing Group had already fallen from grace.

In June, Ji Xiping, a former member of the Gansu Provincial People’s Congress’s Education, Science, Culture, and Health Committee, was investigated. Ji held the role of Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of the Readers Publishing Group from 2009 until 2016. After his tenure, Wang Yongsheng succeeded Ji but was also investigated in 2018. Wang was convicted in 2020 for crimes including bribery and abuse of power, resulting in a fourteen-year prison sentence and a fine of 1 million yuan.

Additionally, former Gansu Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Governor Yang Zixing was also investigated earlier this year; he served as Vice Governor from 2015 to 2018. With Zhao Jinyun’s recent fall, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission reported that at least 50 officials have been investigated this year alone.