Zhao Zhengyong
赵正永
Zhao Zhengyong
Vice-Chairperson of National People's Congress Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee
In office
12th National People's Congress
In office
April 2016 – March 2018
ChairpersonMa Wen
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi People's Congress
In office
31 January 2013 – 1 April 2016
Preceded byZhao Leji
Succeeded byLou Qinjian
Communist Party Secretary of Shaanxi
In office
18 December 2012 – 27 March 2016
Preceded byZhao Leji
Succeeded byLou Qinjian
Governor of Shaanxi
In office
2 June 2010 – 21 December 2012
Preceded byYuan Chunqing
Succeeded byLou Qinjian
Executive Vice-Governor of Shaanxi
In office
January 2005 – June 2010
Preceded byChen Deming
Succeeded byLou Qinjian
Personal details
BornMarch 1951 (age 72–73)
Ma'anshan, Anhui
Political partyChinese Communist Party (expelled; 1973-2020)
SpouseSun Jianhui
Children1
Alma materCentral South University
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese赵正永
Traditional Chinese趙正永

Zhao Zhengyong (Chinese: 赵正永; pinyin: Zhào Zhēngyǒng; born March 1951) is a former politician of the People's Republic of China who served as Communist Party Secretary, Governor, and Congress Chairman of Shaanxi Province. After his retirement, he was placed under investigation for corruption.

Career

Zhao Zhengyong was born in Ma'anshan, Anhui Province in March 1951, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in November 1973. He is a graduate of Central South Mining and Metallurgy Institute (now part of Central South University). He worked at the Maanshan Iron and Steel Company before becoming chief of the Communist Youth League and then deputy Communist Party Chief of his native Ma'anshan in Anhui province. He then became the party chief of Huangshan City and later the public security chief of Anhui.[1][2]

In June 2001, Zhao was transferred to the provincial government of Shaanxi, becoming a vice governor in January 2005. In June 2010 he was appointed the acting governor of Shaanxi, and confirmed as Governor by the Shaanxi Provincial Congress in January 2011. In December 2012 he was promoted to Communist Party Chief of Shaanxi province, replacing Zhao Leji, and Lou Qinjian was appointed Governor in his place.[3][4][1][2] On 27 March 2016, Zhao Zhengyong stepped down from as Party Chief and was again succeeded by Lou Qinjian. Zhao was named a deputy chair of the National People's Congress Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee.[5][6] Zhao was involved in the illegally constructed villas in the Qinling Mountains.[7]

Zhao was a member of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[1][2]

Investigation

When Zhao left his position as party secretary of Shaanxi for a seat on the National People's Congress, several business dealings resulting in personal enrichment to Zhao became public.[8]: 129  Among these was an investment with private developers to build expensive villas on the northern slope of Qinling Mountain in an environmentally protected area.[8]: 129  Zhao received multiple warnings from Communist Party leaders about the project and falsely reported that the villas had been removed.[8]: 129–130 

On January 15, 2019, it was announced that Zhao was under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Communist Party's internal disciplinary body, and the National Supervisory Commission, China's highest anti-corruption agency, for "serious violations of regulations and laws".[9][10][11] He was expelled from the Communist Party on January 4, 2020, and his qualification for delegates to the 13th CCP Shaanxi Provincial Congress was terminated.[12][13] The day Zhao stepped down, his fellow townsman and subordinate, Chen Guoqiang, vice-governor of Shaanxi, was also taken away for investigation.[14] Wei Minzhou, former chief of Shaanxi's capital city Xi'an, was known to be a close ally of Zhao, was placed under investigation for serious violations of regulations in May 2017.[11]

On May 11, 2020, Zhao's trial was held at the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin. The public prosecutors accused him of abusing his positions between 2003 and 2018 to seek benefits for others in terms of job promotions, energy resources exploration and utilization, business activities and project contracting and received a huge amount of gifts and money in return.[15] On July 31, he was sentenced to the death penalty with reprieve by the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin after he was found to have accepted more than 717 million yuan ($102.4 million) in bribes.[7][16][17] The court said that "Zhao was given a two-year reprieve for his death penalty and deprived of political rights for life, with his personal property confiscated. After he finishes the two-year probation, his death penalty will be reduced to life imprisonment without commutation or parole."[16][17][15] He was also deprived of his political rights for life, and ordered by the court to have all his personal assets confiscated.[17] He said he accepted the sentence and would not appeal.[17]

Personal life

Zhao married Sun Jianhui (孙建辉), the couple have a daughter.[18][19] Zhao has a younger brother named Zhao Zhengfa (赵正发).[18] After the downfall of Zhao Zhengyong, his wife, younger brother, and daughter were arrested for investigation.[18][19]

References

  1. ^ a b c 赵正永简历 [Biography of Zhao Zhengyong] (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. 2012-12-19. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  2. ^ a b c 赵正永简历 [Biography of Zhao Zhengyong] (in Chinese). People's Daily. Archived from the original on 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  3. ^ Christian Shepherd (16 January 2019). "China anti-corruption hunt catches 'tiger' official". reuters. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  4. ^ Xiao Hui; Luo Guoping; Han Wei (27 May 2019). "In Depth: The Rise and Fall of 'Two-Faced' Zhao Zhengyong". caixinglobal. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. ^ Cui Xiankang; Han Wei (16 January 2019). "Former Shaanxi Chief Under Graft Investigation". caixinglobal. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. ^ 陕西省委主要负责同志职务调整. Sina (in Chinese). 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  7. ^ a b Jun Mai (31 July 2020). "Chinese provincial chief given suspended death sentence for role in major corruption scandal". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Jin, Keyu (2023). The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-1-9848-7828-1.
  9. ^ xinhuanet (15 January 2019). "Former Shaanxi Party chief under investigation". chinadaily. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  10. ^ 陕西省委原书记赵正永涉嫌严重违纪违法 接受中央纪委国家监委纪律审查和监察调查 (in Chinese). Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  11. ^ a b William Zheng; Nectar Gan (16 January 2019). "China corruption watchdog's big catch Zhao Zhengyong linked to string of scandals". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Former senior legislator, Party chief of Shaanxi expelled from CPC". xinhuanet.com. 4 January 2020. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  13. ^ 全国人大原内务司法委员会副主任委员、陕西省委原书记赵正永严重违纪违法被开除党籍. Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  14. ^ 陕西副省长陈国强传被扣查. Sina (in Chinese). 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  15. ^ a b "Former CPC chief of Shaanxi Province stands trial for bribery". xinhuanet.com. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.[dead link]
  16. ^ a b Cao Ying (31 July 2020). "Ex-Shaanxi Party chief gets suspended death sentence". Chinadaily. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d "Former Shaanxi CPC chief given suspended death sentence for bribery". people.cn. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Xiao Hui (萧辉); Luo Guoping (罗国平) (23 May 2019). 赵正永家族贪腐：妻子人称“陕西于姐”，女儿拉存款提成2000万. caixin.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  19. ^ a b William Zheng (14 May 2020). "China reveals mountain of bribes seized from fallen Communist Party boss Zhao Zhengyong". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
Party political offices Preceded byJi Jiahong [zh] Communist Party Secretary of Huangshan 1993-1998 Succeeded byZang Shikai [zh] Preceded byChen Ruiding [zh] Secretary of the Political Law Committee of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party 2000-2001 Succeeded byRen Haishen [zh] Preceded bySun Anhua [zh] Secretary of the Political Law Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party 2001-2005 Succeeded bySong Hongwu [zh] Preceded byZhao Leji Communist Party Secretary of Shaanxi 2012–2016 Succeeded byLou Qinjian Civic offices Preceded byChen Ruiding Head of Anhui Provincial Public Security Department 1998-2001 Succeeded byCui Yadong [zh] Government offices Preceded byChen Deming Executive Vice-Governor of Shaanxi 2005-2010 Succeeded byLou Qinjian Preceded byYuan Chunqing Governor of Shaanxi 2010–2012 Assembly seats Preceded byZhao Leji Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi People's Congress 2013-2016 Succeeded byLou Qinjian
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