Former Deputy Director of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, Li Chunliang, has recently been indicted on two charges, namely bribery and accepting bribes through abusing power.
According to the announcement from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the Communist Party of China on March 16, the investigation into Li Chunliang, former party member and deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration), for alleged bribery and accepting bribes through abusing power has concluded and has been transferred to the procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution. Upon designation of jurisdiction by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Shandong Provincial Procuratorate has decided to arrest Li Chunliang on charges of bribery and accepting bribes through abusing power. Recently, the Dezhou City Intermediate People’s Court in Shandong Province has brought public prosecution against him.
The prosecution alleges that Li Chunliang utilized his positions as Director of the Second Division of the Central Organization Department, Deputy Director of the Second Division of the Cadre Bureau, Inspector, Director of the Fourth Division of the Cadre Bureau, party member and deputy director of the National Forestry Administration, party member and deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration), among others, to seek benefits for others, illegally accepting a particularly large amount of property.
After leaving his position, Li Chunliang continued to abuse the facilities and conveniences formed by his former position and status, exploiting the actions of other national staff to seek undue benefits for others and illegally accepting a particularly large amount of property. Therefore, he should be held criminally responsible for the crimes of bribery and accepting bribes through abusing power.
On May 13 of last year, Li Chunliang was officially taken down by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Supervisory Commission. On November 10 of the same year, he was expelled from the party, had his privileges revoked, and was handed over to the judiciary.
Public records show that Li Chunliang was born in February 1963 in Bazhou, Hebei Province. He began working at the Local Cadres Bureau of the Central Organization Department of the Communist Party of China in 1997, holding positions such as Deputy Division-level researcher, Deputy Director of the Second Division of the Cadre Bureau office and Deputy Chief, Director of the Second Division.
In 2008, Li Chunliang began working locally as the Deputy Minister of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, and the following year also became the Director of the Bureau of Old Cadres of the Provincial Party Committee.
In 2011, Li Chunliang returned to the Central Organization Department and served as an Inspector and Deputy Director of the Second Division, and in 2013 became the Director of the Fourth Division of the Cadre Bureau.
In December 2016, Li Chunliang was appointed as the Deputy Director of the National Forestry Administration (later the Deputy Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration after organizational reform) and a member of the Communist Party, holding his position until being dismissed in April 2023.
In December 2023, Li Chunliang was appointed as the President of the China Wildlife Conservation Association.