BEIJING: From being “hunted” by businessmen to willingly engaging in power-for-money transactions, Jiang Chaoliang, former Party secretary of Hubei province, fell into the depths of corruption by consistently abusing his power in order to “take care” of his younger brothers, according to the details of a case released in a documentary that aired late Tuesday.
Jiang, who came under investigation in February 2025, had previously served as deputy director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, chairman of Agricultural Bank of China and governor of Jilin province.
“From the beginning, I had ambiguous relationships with those businessmen. Gradually, I became willing to be corrupted — to be ‘hunted’ — and even took the initiative to throw myself into their arms. This is shameful,” Jiang confessed in the documentary.
As early as the 1990s, when Jiang was a mid-level official at Agricultural Bank of China, businessman Li Yuanguang began “cultivating” the relationship with him. Every Spring Festival, Li visited Jiang’s mother, gifting her 20,000 yuan ($2,865) in small bills for mahjong, after she rejected direct payments.
“His ‘hunting’ targeted not just me, but my whole family, leaving us dependent on him,” Jiang said.
As Jiang rose through the ranks, Li expanded his “services” — managing the education, investments and medical care of Jiang’s family members — effectively acting as the family’s “general manager”.
For a decade, Li catered to the family’s every need without asking for anything in return, thereby fostering Jiang’s sense of indebtedness, until it was time for Li to ask for something in return.
In 2011, with Jiang being the top leader of Agricultural Bank of China, Li secured approval for a large ATM procurement contract, reaping huge profits.
Li also invited Jiang’s younger brothers to become “shareholders” in his company, and continued to seek project approvals and loans. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
