Former Director of China Geological Survey, Zhong Ziran, recently appeared in court facing charges of accepting over 23.56 million RMB in bribes and intentionally leaking state secrets. The charge of “intentionally leaking state secrets” has drawn public attention.
According to the Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province, on January 17th, the court held a trial for Zhong Ziran, former member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Natural Resources and former Director of the China Geological Survey, on charges of bribery and intentional leaking of state secrets.
The bribery part of Zhong Ziran’s case was publicly heard in court, while the part regarding the intentional leaking of state secrets was not disclosed.
The prosecution alleges that from 2011 to 2023, Zhong Ziran used his position and the convenience derived from his authority or status to help relevant units and individuals in project contracting, business operations, and job promotions, illegally accepting a total of over 23.56 million RMB.
In 2019, Zhong Ziran violated the State Secrets Law by handing confidential documents to unauthorized individuals for viewing and safekeeping, with severe implications.
The prosecution requested that Zhong Ziran be held criminally responsible for charges of bribery and intentional leaking of state secrets.
Zhong Ziran admitted guilt in court and expressed remorse. The court announced an adjournment and will schedule a sentencing date.
Public records show that Zhong Ziran, a native of Tongcheng, Anhui, had a long career at the Ministry of Natural Resources. In 2014, he served as a member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Director of the China Geological Survey, and Secretary of the Party Committee. After the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2018, Zhong Ziran became a member of the Party Committee and Director of the China Geological Survey.
In September 2022, Zhong Ziran resigned from his position as the head of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, followed by his removal from the position of Director of the China Geological Survey in October of the same year. In January 2024, Zhong Ziran fell from grace and on June 21st of the same year, he was expelled from the Party and handed over to the judiciary.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s report stated that Zhong Ziran was disloyal, dishonest, resisted organizational review, engaged in power-for-sex and money-for-sex transactions, illegally accepted large amounts of money, violated national confidentiality regulations, and intentionally leaked state secrets.
It is worth noting that the charge of “intentional leaking of state secrets” is not commonly seen in the reports on many fallen officials by the Communist Party disciplinary departments.
High-ranking officials who have been accused of “illegally obtaining state secrets” or “intentionally leaking state secrets” include Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Chinese Communist Party, Tian Fengshan, former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang, former head of the General Office Ling Jihua, former Deputy Director of the Tourism Bureau Huo Ke, and former Secretary of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee Zhou Benshun.
According to the relevant interpretations by the Chinese Communist Party, the crime of “intentionally leaking state secrets” refers to intentionally allowing state secrets to be known by unauthorized individuals, or intentionally allowing state secrets to be accessed beyond the designated scope.
Previously disgraced officials like Zhou Yongkang, Ling Jihua, former Governor of Fujian Province Su Shulin, and former Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua, were also subjected to closed or partially closed trials due to involvement of state secrets in their cases. Thus, the public remains unsure about the specifics of the secrets they leaked.