CHINA

Ex-Shanxi Governor Faces Trial for Bribery Stretching Over Two Decades

Published: Mar. 23, 2026 12:56 p.m. GMT+8

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Jin Xiangjun

Chinese prosecutors have indicted Jin Xiangjun, the former governor of Shanxi province, on charges of accepting massive bribes, marking the latest downfall of a high-ranking official. The announcement by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on March 23 came just three days after Wu Cunrong, the former chairman of Shanxi’s political consultative conference, was sentenced in the first instance for similar offenses.

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Former Shanxi governor Jin Xiangjun was indicted for accepting massive bribes, with alleged corruption spanning over two decades and multiple high-level posts.
Jin's career covered five provinces, including major roles in Yulin, Fangchenggang, Tianjin, and Shanxi, and saw him lead major economic initiatives.
Since late 2022, three senior Shanxi officials have fallen to corruption, including Jin, Wu Cunrong, and Shang Liguang.

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Who’s Who

Jinko Solar: Jinko Solar, a module manufacturer, secured a significant solar project in Shanxi province under the leadership of former governor Jin Xiangjun. This project represents the largest single industrial investment in Shanxi in recent years, valued at approximately 56 billion yuan ($8.1 billion).

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What Happened When

1992：: Jin Xiangjun moved to Hainan and became a division chief at the provincial social security bureau.

1998：: Jin Xiangjun became deputy director of the Guangxi labor department.

1999：: Jin Xiangjun published an article on medical insurance reform.

By October 2000：: Jin Xiangjun was transferred to Yulin as vice mayor.

2003：: Jin Xiangjun was promoted to mayor of Yulin.

2009：: Jin Xiangjun became party secretary of Yulin.

2014：: Jin Xiangjun was transferred to Fangchenggang as party secretary and wrote an article highlighting the Yulin SME Commercial Opportunity Expo.

January 2018：: Jin Xiangjun was transferred to Tianjin as vice mayor.

2021：: Jin Xiangjun was elevated to the Tianjin municipal party standing committee.

March 2022：: Jin Xiangjun became deputy party secretary of Tianjin.

Late 2022：: Jin Xiangjun was elected to the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party.

December 2022：: Jin Xiangjun was appointed acting governor of Shanxi.

Late 2023：: Wang Yixin, who served as vice governor of Shanxi from 2013 to 2021, was purged.

Early 2025：: Sun Jianhua and Zhou Derui, senior officials in Tianjin who worked with Jin Xiangjun, were investigated for corruption.

March 20, 2026：: Wu Cunrong, former chairman of Shanxi’s political consultative conference, was sentenced in the first instance for corruption offenses.