Sun Wanzhong was born on August 18, 1930, in Huailai County, Hebei. He began participating in revolutionary work in February 1949 and joined the Chinese Communist Party in March 1950.[2] From January 1953, Sun successively served as secretary to the Vice Minister of Justice, secretary in the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and secretary to the President of the Supreme People's Court. These early roles placed him at the center of China’s judicial administration and policy coordination.[3][2]
In May 1969, during the Cultural Revolution, Sun was sent to a May Seventh Cadre School for manual labor. After returning to work in January 1972, he was appointed Director of the Office of the President of the Supreme People's Court and later served as President of its Civil Adjudication Division. Beginning in October 1982, he concurrently served as a member of the Supreme People's Court Adjudication Committee and held senior leadership positions in both civil and criminal adjudication divisions.[4]
In March 1987, Sun was appointed Director and Party Secretary of the State Council Legislative Affairs Office, where he played a significant role in legislative coordination and the drafting of administrative regulations. From May 1991 to November 2003, he served successively as Vice President, Deputy Party Secretary, and Executive Vice President of the China Law Society, contributing to the development of legal scholarship and professional legal institutions in China.[5] He retired from public service in July 2004. Sun Wanzhong died of illness in Beijing on January 1, 2023, at the age of 92.[3]