In 1974, Su became the deputy Communist Party chief of Najin Commune, and later party chief. Starting in 1980 he served as deputy party chief of Tao'an County, party chief of Fuyu County, deputy party chief and then party chief of Baicheng prefecture. In 1989 he became the party chief of Sipingprefecture-level city, and from 1995 until 1998 he was the party chief of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Starting in 1996 he concurrently served as deputy party chief of Jilin province, a position he held until 2001. From 1994 to 1997 he studied at Jilin University on a part-time basis, receiving a master's degree in economics.[1][2][3]
Career in Qinghai, Gansu, and Jiangxi
In 2001, Su Rong was transferred to Qinghai province in Northwest China, serving as its Communist Party Chief, the top official in the province. He also became the chairman of Qinghai Provincial People's Congress in 2002.[1][2][3]
In 2003, he became the Communist Party Chief of the neighbouring Gansu province, and concurrently served as chairman of Gansu Provincial People's Congress in 2004.[1][2][3]
In 2007, he became the Communist Party Chief of Jiangxi province in East China, succeeding Meng Jianzhu. The next year he also became chairman of Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress. He held both positions until 2013.[1][2][3]
In March 2013, Su became one of the 23 vice chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The position enjoyed the official ranking as a "national leader".[4] However, in June 2014, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that he was being probed for "disciplinary violations", which typically indicate corruption. At the time of the announcement, he was the highest-ranking official, and the only "national leader"-class figure, to come under investigation for graft since Xi Jinping became General Secretary of the CCP in 2012.[4] Several other senior officials of Jiangxi province had already been under investigation, including vice governors Yao Mugen and Zhao Zhiyong, and vice-chairman of the provincial congress, Chen Anzhong.[2] His CPPCC colleague and former Hu Jintao aide, CPPCC Vice Chairman Ling Jihua, was also detained for corruption in December 2014.
The results of the CCDI investigation into Su Rong was announced February 16, 2015. It concluded that Su Rong "violated organizational discipline, unilaterally upstaged decisions made by consensus [...] used his position of power to seek gain for others during the promotion process of officials and the operations of businesses, took a massive amount of bribes." It also said that he was responsible for wasting government resources and had "leading responsibility" for problems with corruption in Jiangxi province which festered under his watch. In the past, the CCDI's investigation announcements into officials have largely followed a bland and oft-repeated formula. In Su's case, however, the CCDI used many new phrases to describe the details of his alleged wrongdoing. He was said to have "shown blatant disregard about party political rules," "liberally sold offices for cash," "severely poisoned the local political environment," "encouraged and condoned his relatives to use their relationship to him to influence political affairs." His offenses were "of an especially egregious nature and caused extraordinarily bad influence." Su was expelled from the CCP, and indicted on charges of bribery and abuse of power, and his case moved to judicial authorities for prosecution.[5]
On January 23, 2017, Su Rong was sentenced to life in prison for bribery, deprivation of political rights for life and confiscation of all personal property. Court documents showed that he took bribes worth some 116 million yuan ($17 million) between 2002 and 2014.[6] Su Rong said in court that he would obey the court's decision and would not appeal.[7]
Personal life
Su married a woman surnamed Ren (任某), with whom he had three children, a son Su Tiezhi (苏铁志) and two daughters Su Xiaobo (苏晓波) and Su Xiaojuan (苏晓娟).[8] Ren died of cancer in 1993.[8] His son-in-law named Cheng Danfeng [zh], former vice mayor of Zhangjiajie City, was sacked for graft in November 2015. In 1994, he married Yu Lifang (于丽芳), who initially worked in a bank.[8] Yu's elder brother Yu Ping'an (于平安) who involved in the case committed suicide by swallowing sleeping pills in March 2015.[8]
PB Former member of the Politburo; PLA Also a military official; CDI Member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection or affiliates ; S Committed suicide 1For details on the civil service ranks of officials, please see Civil Service of the People's Republic of China; 2Army generals listed have attained at least the rank of Major General, which usually enjoys the same administrative privileges as a civilian official of sub-provincial rank.