Gansu’s female Deputy Governor under investigation for unusually close relationship with former Governor before his downfall.

Recently, it was announced that Zhao Jinyun, the deputy governor of Gansu Province, has been officially removed from her position. Following this, the personal information of her husband, Bao Donghong, director of the Shaanxi Provincial Taxation Bureau, was quietly taken down from the official website of the Shaanxi Provincial Taxation Bureau. Insiders revealed that Zhao Jinyun’s downfall is closely related to the recently investigated former governor of Gansu Province, Tang Renjian, and their relationship is extraordinary.

On October 25th, Zhao was reported to have been removed from office, becoming the 60th senior official to be investigated for corruption since last year.

During her tenure, Zhao was in charge of sectors such as livelihood and health in Gansu Province. She experienced frequent career changes and eventually rose to the position of deputy governor. Her husband, Bao Donghong, also saw a steady rise in the political arena, holding positions such as Secretary of the Dunhuang Municipal Committee, Deputy Director of the Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Director of the Statistics Bureau before being transferred to the Shaanxi Provincial Taxation Bureau in 2020.

Reported by Radio Free Asia on October 31st, a retired individual named Mr. Song, who had interactions with Bao Donghong, mentioned that both Bao and Zhao jointly managed the taxation and governmental departments of Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. The intricate relationship between the two has now led to their downfall, with one falling after the other.

Recently, the relevant information of Bao Donghong, the Secretary of the Communist Party Committee and Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Taxation Bureau of the State Administration of Taxation, has been removed from the official website of the Shaanxi Taxation Bureau. According to reports by The Paper, Bao Donghong is in a marital relationship with Zhao Jinyun, the former deputy governor of Gansu Province who was officially reported to have been removed from office last week. This incident has exposed deep-rooted corruption within the local taxation system in China’s northwest region, sparking widespread public concern.

A government official in Gansu, Ms. Yao, stated that Zhao Jinyun’s investigation is closely related to the recently investigated former governor of Gansu Province and current Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Tang Renjian.

She revealed, “Bao Donghong’s wife, Zhao Jinyun, is quite attractive. Her relationship with Tang Renjian, the former governor of Gansu Province and later Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is extraordinary. Tang Renjian is very lustful, having many girlfriends, particularly favoring married women in their forties and fifties. I know of two women related to Tang, one of whom is from the entertainment industry in Shaanxi and has some good looks. During his time as governor of Gansu Province, I remember he allocated a 700 million yuan project to the brother of one of the women. The woman’s brother then transferred the project to a real estate tycoon in Shaanxi. Tang Renjian and the woman’s brother received a substantial kickback from this deal.”

After graduating from Northwest Normal University, Zhao Jinyun was assigned to work at the Gansu Provincial Land Management Bureau. In December 2022, she was promoted to deputy governor of Gansu Province, overseeing civil affairs, health, and other sectors.

On May 18th of this year, Tang Renjian, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party, was officially reported to be under investigation. Tang assumed the position of Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Acting Governor at the beginning of 2017, officially becoming governor on May 5th and entering the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party. In December 2020, Tang Renjian left Gansu and took on the role of Minister in Beijing.

During Tang Renjian’s tenure as governor of Gansu Province, Zhao Jinyun served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Gansu Civil Aviation Airport Group Co., Ltd., General Manager of Reader Publication Group Co., Ltd., and Vice Chairman of Reader Publication Media Co., Ltd. After Tang Renjian moved to Beijing two years later, Zhao Jinyun became the deputy governor of Gansu Province.

On May 18th, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Tang Renjian is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and is currently under investigation.

Just three days before being notified of the investigation, Tang Renjian made a public appearance attending the National Rural Talent Work Conference held in Xianyang, Shaanxi.

Previously, Tang Renjian held positions such as Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Leading Group, Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, and Deputy Group Leader of the State Council Poverty Alleviation and Development Leading Group. In 2014, Tang Renjian was transferred to Guangxi and served as Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government for two years; in 2017, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Governor. In December 2020, he became the Director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, Secretary of the Communist Party Group, and Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.