The Chinese Communist Party continues to clean up its petroleum system. Recently, Yan Zhijun, the general manager of the Shandong Sales Branch of China Petroleum, was officially announced to have fallen from grace.
On September 14, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of the Communist Party of China announced on their official website that Yan Zhijun, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee and general manager of the Shandong Sales Branch of China National Petroleum Corporation, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, has voluntarily surrendered and is currently under investigation.
Before his fall from grace, Yan Zhijun participated in public activities multiple times. In March, Yan Zhijun and his team visited and exchanged experiences at the Dagang Petrochemical Company. In May, Yan Zhijun and his team visited and researched three gas stations belonging to the Shenyang Branch of the company.
Yan Zhijun’s public information is relatively scarce. According to reports from the Chinese “Fund Daily,” Yan Zhijun has worked in the China National Petroleum Corporation system for many years and has held positions such as the Executive Deputy Secretary of the Zhejiang Sales Company of China Petroleum.
Since July, several officials from the “Three Barrels of Oil” (China National Petroleum Corporation, Sinopec, CNOOC) have been investigated.
On July 9, four officials from CNOOC were officially announced to have fallen from grace. They were: Zishi Long, former Deputy General Manager of the Legal and Foreign Affairs Department of CNOOC Limited; Cao Shujie, former External Director at the company’s office and former Director of China United Coalbed Methane Limited Liability Company; Yu Guimin, former Deputy General Manager and Chief Engineer (drilling and completion) of the Tianjin Branch of CNOOC Energy (China); Deng Jianming, former Deputy General Manager of the Engineering Technology Department of CNOOC Limited.
On August 20, Zhao Erquan, former Chairman and General Manager of China Petroleum Hainan Sales Co., Ltd., fell from grace.
On August 28, Zhang Yu, former Party Secretary of the Northwest Oil Bureau of Sinopec Group, fell from grace.