In a significant anti-corruption ruling, Zhao Jinyun, former Vice-Governor of China’s Gansu province, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for bribery and insider trading offenses. The Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court delivered the verdict on Tuesday, marking another high-profile conviction in China’s ongoing anti-graft campaign.
The court found Zhao guilty of leveraging her official positions from 2005 through October 2024 to illicitly benefit individuals and organizations in matters including construction contracts, mineral exploration permits, tax disputes, and employment arrangements. Together with her husband Bao Donghong, who held prominent roles in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, Zhao accepted bribes exceeding 54.09 million yuan ($7.7 million).
Additionally, between June 2018 and March 2022, Zhao engaged in insider trading by utilizing confidential information obtained through her government work. She executed stock transactions through securities accounts controlled by relatives and friends, generating illegal profits surpassing 300,000 yuan from trades totaling over 7.02 million yuan.
The comprehensive sentence includes 13 years for bribery with a 3 million yuan fine, and 5 years for insider trading with a 500,000 yuan penalty, combined into a 15-year term. The court also ordered confiscation of all illicit gains and interests, which will be transferred to the state treasury.
Despite the severity of the crimes, the court acknowledged mitigating factors including Zhao’s confession, voluntary disclosure of previously unknown bribery incidents, partial recovery of illegal proceeds, and the fact that some bribes remained unconsummated. Her husband Bao is being processed in a separate legal case.
Zhao’s political career spanned decades, including membership in the Jiusan Society since 1999 and her appointment as Gansu Vice-Governor in December 2022. Her downfall began with an investigation into duty-related violations in October 2024, followed by removal from office in April 2025 and formal indictment three months later.