Recently, the Mayor of Baoshan City in Yunnan Province, Chen Rui, passed away at the age of 52 during his tenure, which lasted just over a year. In the days leading up to Chen Rui’s death, his father, former Deputy Secretary of the Qujing Municipal Party Committee, Chen Shigui, turned himself in. Online commentators in mainland China speculate that behind Chen Rui’s death may lie the dark underbelly of officialdom, suggesting a sacrifice to protect a group.
On June 20th, Red Star News reported that the Office of the Baoshan City Government of the Chinese Communist Party confirmed the recent passing of Chen Rui, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of the city.
Reporting from Xinjing Bao stated that a staff member at the Baoshan City Government Office mentioned that Chen Rui had passed away due to illness, adding that “currently, no further information is available.”
Internet users claiming to have inside information revealed, “He only passed away on the 14th.”
Chen Rui’s information has been removed from the “Organizational Structure” section of the Baoshan City Government website, and his biography has been taken down.
According to public reports, Chen Rui participated in local meetings as recent as June 11th. On June 7th, he even visited some of the exam centers for the college entrance examination in Baoshan to conduct inspections.
Born in June 1972 in Xuanwei, Qujing, Yunnan Province, Chen Rui previously held positions such as Deputy Secretary of the Zhenyi County Party Committee in Qujing, Secretary of the Lujiang County Party Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Nujiang Prefecture Party Committee, Minister of the United Front Work Department, and Secretary of the Lushui Municipal Party Committee. He became a Standing Committee Member and Executive Vice Governor of Chuxiong Prefecture in 2021 and assumed the positions of Deputy Secretary of the Baoshan Municipal Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Municipal Government, and Mayor in March 2023.
Previously disclosed information on the Baoshan City Government’s official website showed that Chen Rui was responsible for overseeing the comprehensive work of the municipal government and was also in charge of audit work, serving as the Director of the City’s Safety Production Committee.
Red Star News reported that multiple sources have confirmed that Chen Rui is the son of Chen Shigui, the former Deputy Secretary of the Qujing Municipal Party Committee. On May 30th, the Yunnan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Chen Shigui is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and has voluntarily turned himself in, currently undergoing review and investigation.
Since April this year, several officials in Qujing City have been investigated, including Vice Mayor Li Jinlin, Director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau Lv Zhengguo, former Deputy Director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau Long Hui, former Vice President of the Intermediate People’s Court of Qujing City and Senior Judge Chen Yongjian, and Director of the Transportation Bureau of Qujing City Luan Yahong.
Chinese netizens believe that the circumstances surrounding Chen Rui’s death may indicate a darker side to officialdom, implying a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of others in the group. Comments like “He died as a sacrifice for the group,” “The old man died once he was caught, indeed a tough individual, leaving enough for his family and future generations,” “How chaotic things have become,” and “This is quite a situation” reflect the sentiment online.