China’s “beautiful governor” fined ₹1.18 crore and jailed for 13 years for having affair with 58 employees and corruption

As a punishment for her misbehavior, a certain female official in China is said to have been charged a sum of one million yuan (approximately ₹ 1.18 crore) and jailed for 13 years. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Zhong Yang, who is popularly called ‘the beautiful governor’ due to her wonderful looks, also served as the governor and deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Qiannan prefecture of Guizhou province. She is alleged to have received 60 million yuan in bribes and had sexual relationships with 58 colleagues.

Finally, at the age of 52, she rose to the position of Deputy in the National People’s Congress (NPC) after belonging to the Communist Party at the age of 22. Zhong was also known as the person who set up a fruit and farming union that helps farmers in normal life as well as providing non-hyperbolic funding with her own money to elderly people with a lack of resources.

Zhong became embroiled in controversy after a documentary made by Guizhou Radio and Television surfaced in January. According to reports, Ms. Zhong took bribes and used her position to guarantee that businesses she supported were awarded large contracts while posing as government investors. This included giving her close-knit connection with a businessman permission to develop property in a high-tech industrial zone.

A private company owner said in the documentary that Ms. Zhong would disregard businesses that were not connected to her personally. The documentary also disclosed that Ms. Zhong was the subject of a 2023 announcement by the Guizhou Provincial Discipline Inspection and Supervision Committee on her possible major legal and disciplinary offenses.

The 52-year-old has also been charged with having extramarital romances with 58 of his male workers. According to reports, some opted to be her lovers because of the benefits she provided, while others only agreed to be her lovers out of fear of her rule. It is stated that Ms. Zhong went on business trips and worked overtime while spending time with her boyfriends.

In April 2023, Ms. Zhong was taken into custody. She was dismissed from her position and kicked out of the CPC in September. Additionally, she was demoted from the National People’s Congress.

Ms. Zhong said in the documentary that she is sorry for what she did. “It is impossible for me to confront my family, my former coworkers, or the leaders who have supported and encouraged me. I really feel humiliated and ashamed,” she murmured.

The 52-year-old continued by saying that she had been under the impression that in order to manage political matters, she needed to develop a small circle of reliable businesses. She said that her parents would make her a straightforward dinner of boiled tofu and veggies for Chinese New Year’s when she attained official status. “They said to me that my life and work need to be as pure and pristine as the dish. I didn’t heed their warning, but I still accepted it every year and ate the food,” the woman said.