Former Communist Party Secretary Luo Baoming of Hainan Province voluntarily surrendered after serving in the position for 7 years. Luo Baoming had previously served as an alternate member of the 15th and 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, as well as a member of the 17th and 18th Central Committees.
On the evening of July 25th, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of the CPC announced on their website that Luo Baoming, the Deputy Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and has voluntarily surrendered. He is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervision investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.
This year, a total of 6 high-ranking Communist Party officials have been under investigation.
Luo Baoming became the second high-ranking official targeted for investigation in Hainan Province following Liu Xingtai, the former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He is the first former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee to be investigated in Hainan since its establishment and the third former provincial Party Committee Secretary to be investigated following the former Secretary of the Guizhou Provincial Party Committee, Sun Zhigang, and the former Secretary of the Tibetan Party Committee, Wu Yingjie.
Luo Baoming is also the first senior Communist Party official to be investigated in the second half of this year. With his case, the number of senior Communist Party officials investigated from January to July as reported by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has risen to 37.
After Luo Baoming’s fall from power, the total number of former provincial Party Secretaries investigated since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has increased to 13. Previously investigated individuals include Zhou Yongkang, Bai Enpei, Su Rong, Zhou Benshun, Wang Min, Huang Xingguo (acting), Sun Zhengcai, Wang Sanyun, Zhao Zhengyong, Qin Guangrong, Sun Zhigang, and Wu Yingjie.
According to public records, Luo Baoming was born in Tianjin in October 1952, and holds a graduate degree while joining the Communist Party in August 1971.
Luo Baoming had worked in Tianjin for many years, serving as the District Chief and Party Secretary of Dagang District, Director of the Tianjin Commercial Commission, and member of the Tianjin Municipal Committee and Minister of Propaganda Department.
In July 2001, at the age of 48, Luo Baoming was transferred to Hainan and held positions as Vice Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department. In January 2007, he became the Acting Governor of Hainan Province before being officially appointed.
From August 2011, Luo Baoming served as the Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People’s Congress, and Secretary of the Party Group.
In April 2017, Luo Baoming, who was not yet 65 years old, stepped down from his position as the Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, later becoming the Deputy Director of the 13th National People’s Congress Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee. He retired in March 2023.