Bai Yun (politician)

For the giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, see Bai Yun.

Bai Yun 白云
Head of the United Front Work Department of Shanxi Province
In office February 2013 – September 2014
Party Secretary	Yuan Chunqing
Preceded by	Nie Chunyu
Succeeded by	Sun Shaocheng (孙绍骋)
Party Secretary of Yuncheng
In office January 2012 – February 2013
Preceded by	Gao Weidong (高卫东)
Succeeded by	Wang Maoshe
Party Secretary of Yangquan
In office April 2009 – January 2012
Preceded by	Xie Hai (谢海)
Succeeded by	Hong Fake (洪发科)
Mayor of Yangquan
In office April 2006 – April 2009
Preceded by	Xie Hai
Succeeded by	Li Dongliang (李栋梁)
Deputy Party Secretary of Lüliang
In office February 2004 – February 2006
Personal details
Born	December 1960 (age 63) Wutai County, Shanxi
Political party	Communist Party of China (1979-2015, expelled)
Residence(s)	Taiyuan, Shanxi
Alma mater	Renmin University of China
Occupation	Politician

Bai Yun (simplified Chinese: 白云; traditional Chinese: 白雲; born December 1960) is a Chinese regional politician from Shanxi province. She was the Communist Party Secretary of Yuncheng between 2012 and 2013. Bai was the first female official of provincial-ministerial rank to be investigated for corruption after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. At the time the investigation against her was opened, she was serving as a member of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee and the Head of the United Front Work Department of Shanxi Province. She was expelled from the Party in 2015 for abuse of power and accepting bribes.

Career

Bai Yun was born and raised in Wutai County, Shanxi, she earned a master's degree in business administration from Renmin University of China in 1997.

Bai Yun became involved in politics in December 1986 and joined the Communist Party of China in December 1979.

Beginning in 1984, she served in several posts in Shuozhou, Shanxi, including Communist Youth League Secretary of the municipal party committee, Communist Youth League Vice Secretary of provincial party committee, and Secretary of party committee.

She was appointed as the Deputy Party Secretary of Lüliang in February 2004, a position she held until February 2006, when she was transferred to Yangquan as the Deputy Party Secretary. After two months, she also served as the Mayor. In April 2009, she was promoted to become the Party Secretary, earning full departmental-level (zhengtingji) rank. In January 2012, Bai was named acting Party Secretary of Yuncheng, replacing Gao Weidong (高卫东). In January 2013, she became a member of the provincial Party Standing Committee. One month later, she was elevated to the head of the United Front Work Department of the provincial Party committee.

On August 29, 2014, it was announced that Bai Yun was undergoing investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China for "serious violations of laws and regulations". Several other provincial Standing Committee members were also investigated as part of a "political earthquake" that shook the province in 2014.

In February 2015, at the conclusion of the internal party investigation, Bai Yun was accused of taking "massive bribes" and abuse of power, and expelled from the Communist Party. Bai was tried at the People's Intermediate Court in Nantong, Jiangsu province. The prosecution accused Bai of taking some 17.81 million yuan (~$2.3 million) in bribes during her term as party chief of Yangquan, from the chief executive of an environmental engineering company and "16 other individuals," in exchange for favourable treatment in the approval of projects and the promotion of subordinates. Bai did not contest the charges. On October 19, 2016, Bai was sentenced to 12 years in prison.