CHINA

Former Provincial Big Data Official Investigated for Corruption

Published: Feb. 26, 2025 7:33 p.m. GMT+8

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Jing Yaping, former director of the Big Data Development Administration of Guizhou. Photo: File photo

A former director of Guizhou province’s Big Data Development Administration, has been placed under investigation by local graft busters, becoming the second head of the agency to fall under a corruption probe in less than seven months.

Jing Yaping, who had retired in October, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” according to a one-line statement published Monday by Guizhou’s discipline inspection commission. The phrase is a common euphemism for corruption.

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Jing Yaping, a former director of Guizhou's Big Data Development Administration, is under investigation for "serious violations" of law, following a similar probe into her predecessor, Ma Ningyu.
Guizhou province, a growing big data hub, saw its digital economy contribute 42% to GDP in 2023, with companies like Apple and Huawei establishing data centers there.
Corruption in the big data industry involves misuse of resources, manipulation of systems, and illegal fees, with examples across various regions in China.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Apple Inc.: Apple Inc. has established data centers in Guizhou, China, contributing to the province's reputation as a big data hub. This aligns with the rapid growth of the big data industry in Guizhou, which accounted for 42% of the province's GDP in 2023.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a major tech firm that has established data centers in Guizhou province, which is dubbed China's big data hub. During Jing Yaping's tenure as director of Guizhou's Big Data Development Administration, she promoted a collaboration with Huawei's cloud computing arm. Huawei's involvement underscores the region's rapid growth as a center for data and digital economy developments.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

2016：: Ma Ningyu began serving as the first director of Guizhou's Big Data Development Administration.

2019 to 2023：: A market supervision agency charged illegal fees for accessing government data, resulting in significant illicit gains.

2020：: Corruption investigations into high-ranking officials and business leaders in Guizhou started.

Before November 2021：: Jing Yaping served as deputy chief of Guizhou's Big Data Development Administration.

November 2021：: Jing Yaping was named director of Guizhou's Big Data Development Administration.

Last year, 2024：: A corruption case involving Zhong Yang, the party secretary of a national economic and technological development zone in Guiyang, was noted.