Senior political adviser in Xinjiang indicted on bribery charges

Jin Zhizhen, former vice-chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regional committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, has been indicted on suspicion of accepting bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's top procuratorate, announced on Monday.

The procuratorate said in a statement that it had assigned prosecutors from Yueyang, Hunan province, to handle the case, and that the indictment had been filed with the Yueyang Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors allege that Jin took advantage of various positions he previously held in Xinjiang to seek benefits for others in exchange for bribes, and the amount of illicit proceeds he obtained is "extremely large"; he should be held criminally liable for bribery.

During the prosecution process, the investigators questioned Jin, informed him of his litigation rights, and listened to the opinions of his defense lawyers.

Public information shows that Jin, 56, a native of Jiangsu, joined the Communist Party of China in June 1991 and began working in August that year. He spent most of his career in Xinjiang, holding various positions such as governor of Changji Hui autonomous prefecture.

He became vice-chairman of the CPPCC Xinjiang Regional Committee in 2023, and later that year he served as deputy head of the regional State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

He was placed under investigation in November 2025. In May this year, he was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office.