Gao Xuekun

Gao Xuekun was born in Kunshan, Jiangsu, in July 1955. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in June 1977 and began working in December 1974. From 1974 to 1978, Gao served as a soldier and squad leader in Unit 54717 of the People's Liberation Army. Following his military service, he worked at the Kunshan Biochemical Factory and in several institutions in Bacheng Town, including the local health clinic and industrial companies. Between 1983 and 1988, he served as manager and Party secretary of the Bacheng Town Industrial Corporation.^[2]

In 1988, he became deputy town mayor of Zhangpu, Kunshan, and later its Party secretary. In the 1990s, he held leadership roles in Chengbei and later at the Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone. He was elected as Kunshan's deputy mayor in 2000, and he went on to become the city's executive deputy mayor and deputy Party secretary.^[3]

In 2005, Gao was appointed deputy mayor of Huai'an and Party secretary for the Huai'an Economic Development Zone. He was promoted to executive deputy mayor and then deputy Party secretary of the city. In 2008, he became acting mayor and later mayor of Huai’an, a post he held until 2012.^[4]

In June 2012, he was appointed chairman of the Suzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where he served until January 2017.^[5]

The Jiangsu Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection placed Gao under investigation in June 2017 for "serious violations of discipline." In November 2017, prosecutors approved his arrest on suspicion of bribery.^[6]

In February 2018, following the investigation, he was found to have violated multiple party disciplines, including political, organizational, integrity, and lifestyle rules. The investigation concluded that he abused his positions for personal gain and took bribes in matters including land transfers, project contracts, real estate, and personnel appointments. He was expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from public office. In July 2018, the case was formally filed for prosecution by the Zhenjiang People's Procuratorate, and Gao was indicted on charges of bribery. The Zhenjiang Intermediate People's Court held that Gao took large amounts of bribes by abusing his posts in Kunshan and Huai’an between 1990 and 2012. On June 18, 2019, he was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison and fined 1.2 million yuan. Illicit gains and their proceeds were confiscated.^[7]