Former Shanxi Province governor Jin Xiangjun sentenced to death with reprieve at first instance

According to China News Service, on September 8, the Intermediate People's Court of Xinyang, Henan Province, publicly announced in the first instance the verdict in the bribery case of Jin Xiangjun, former deputy secretary of the Shanxi Provincial Committee and former governor of the Shanxi Provincial Government, sentencing him to death with a twoyear reprieve, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all personal property. The court found that from the first half of 2004 to April 2025, Jin Xiangjun took advantage of his positions as mayor and Party secretary of Yulin, Guangxi, Party secretary of Fangchenggang, vice mayor and deputy Party secretary of Tianjin, and deputy secretary and governor of the Shanxi Provincial Committee, to provide assistance to relevant organizations and individuals in matters such as business operations, project contracting, and promotion, illegally accepting money and property worth more than RMB 148 million in total. The court stated that Jin Xiangjun's bribery amount was extraordinarily large and caused exceptionally severe losses to the interests of the state and the people, and he should be sentenced to death in accordance with the law; however, considering that he had an attempted offense, truthfully confessed after being taken into custody, proactively disclosed most facts that had not yet been uncovered, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, and part of the stolen money and goods had been recovered, a suspended death sentence was ultimately handed down. The report said the case was publicly heard on June 11 this year, and Jin Xiangjun stated in court that he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.