Li Jinzao

Li was born in January 1958 in Xiantao, Hubei. After the Cultural Revolution, he studied, then taught, at what is now Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. In 1984 he earned a master's degree in economic from Wuhan University. After university, he was assigned to the Ministry of Finance. In October 1988 he received his doctor's degree in economic from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In October 1988, he joined the State Planning Commission.

In August 1996, he was transferred to Guilin, capital of Guangxi, where he was appointed vice-mayor, party chief of Qixing District and party chief of Guilin High-Tech Development Zone. He was promoted to mayor in October 1998. In December 2001 he was promoted again to become party chief. He became vice-governor of Guangxi in September 2003, and served until January 2008.

In October 2011 he was transferred to Beijing and appointed vice-minister of Commerce.^[2] In October 2014 he became chairman and party branch secretary of the China National Tourism Administration. After the institutional reform, he served as the vice-minister of vice-minister of Culture and Tourism in March 2018.^[3]

On July 29, 2020, he has been placed under investigation for serious violations of laws and regulations by the party's disciplinary body. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement on its website, without elaborating.^[4] On September 4, he has been removed from the post of vice minister of Culture and Tourism.^[5]

On January 25, 2021, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and removed from public office.^[6] On 21 October, he stood trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Shenyang on charges of taking bribes.^[7] Prosecutors accused Li of taking advantage of his different positions in both Guangxi and Beijing between 1996 and 2020 to seek profits for various companies and individuals in qualification approval, platform preparation, project contracting and job promotion.^[7] In return, he accepted money and property worth over 65.5 million yuan ($10.24 million).^[7]

On April 26, 2022, he was eventually sentenced to a 15-year jail and fined 6 million yuan for taking bribes.^[8]

Government offices
Preceded by Cai Yonglun (蔡永伦)	Mayor of Guilin 1998-2002	Succeeded by Mo Yongqing (莫永清)
Preceded by Yang Daoxi (杨道喜)	Director of the Development and Reform Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 2003-2004	Succeeded by Mu Hong
Preceded by Guo Shengkun	Executive Vice-Governor of Guangxi 2008-2011	Succeeded by Huang Daowei (黄道伟)
Preceded by Shao Qiwei (邵琪伟)	Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration 2014-2018	Succeeded by Position revoked
Party political offices
Preceded by Jiang Xinghe (姜兴和)	Communist Party Secretary of Guilin 2001-2002	Succeeded by Mo Yongqing (莫永清)