Sun Yuanliang (politician)

Sun Yuanliang (born March 1955) is a former Chinese politician who spent most of his career in northeast China's Liaoning province. As of April 2022 he was under investigation by China's top anti-graft watchdog. He retired in 2018. Previously he served as vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Sun was a delegate to the 10th National People's Congress. He was a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He was a representative of the 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

Early life and education
Sun was born in Jianping County, Liaoning, in March 1955. In 1973, he enrolled at Liaoning University, majoring in Russian language.

Career
Sun joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in August 1976. After university in September 1976, he became a secretary for the Office of CCP Nagqu Prefectural Committee in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Sun was transferred to Liaoyang in July 1982, where he successively served as office secretary (1983), deputy director of the Office (1983–1984), deputy party secretary and governor of Shuangta District (1984–1985), secretary-general of the CCP Liaoyang Municipal Committee (1985–1994), deputy party secretary of Liaoyang (1994–2004), mayor of Liaoyang (2001–2004), and eventually party secretary of Liaoyang (2004–2010).

In December 2010, Sun took up the post of director of the Office of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the provincial advisory body. He was chosen as secretary-general in January 2011, but having held the position for only eleven months. In December 2011, he was appointed as head of the United Front Work Department of the CCP Liaoning Provincial Committee, in addition to serving as vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since January 2013. He retired in January 2018.

Downfall
On 9 April 2022, Sun was put under investigation for alleged "serious violations of discipline and laws" by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party's internal disciplinary body, and the National Supervisory Commission, the highest anti-corruption agency of China. On September 30, he was expelled from the CCP. He was detained by the Supreme People's Procuratorate on October 29.

On 28 February 2023, Sun was indicted on suspicion of accepting bribes. On November 30, his trial was held at the Intermediate People's Court in Chengde, Hebei. Prosecutors accused Sun of taking advantage of his different positions in Liaoning between 1994 and 2018 to seek profits for various companies and individuals in expropriation of land, acquisition of loans and adjustment of positions, in return for bribes paid in cash or gifts worth more than 197 million yuan ($27.26 million) through himself, his son and relatives.

On 9 May 2024, Sun was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes worth more than 197 million yuan ($27.26 million) by the Intermediate People's Court of Chengde. He was deprived of his political rights for life, and all his personal assets were confiscated.