Song Liang

Song Liang (Chinese: 宋亮; pinyin: Sòng Liàng; born December 1963) is a former Chinese politician who spent most of his career in north China's Inner Mongolia. As of February 2021 he was under investigation by China's top anti-corruption agency. Previously he served as the Executive Vice Governor of Gansu. Song was the second leader of provincial-ministerial level to be targeted in 2021, after Li Wenxi, former vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[1]

Song Liang
宋亮
Executive Vice Governor of Gansu
In office June 2018 – 1 February 2021
Governor	Tang Renjian→Ren Zhenhe
Preceded by	Huang Qiang
Communist Party Secretary of Tongliao
In office November 2016 – March 2017
Preceded by	Luo Yonggang
Succeeded by	Li Jiexiang
Communist Party Secretary of Wuhai
In office November 2015 – November 2016
Preceded by	Hou Fengqi
Succeeded by	Shi Wanjun
Head of the Department of Transportation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
In office May 2014 – November 2015
Preceded by	Jiang Wei
Succeeded by	Lian Su
Personal details
Born	December 1963 (age 57) Shangdu County, Inner Mongolia, China
Political party	Communist Party of China
Alma mater	Inner Mongolia University Nankai University

Early life and education

Song was born in Shangdu County, Inner Mongolia, in December 1963. In September 1981, he was admitted to Inner Mongolia University, where he majored in plan statistics.

Career in Inner Mongolia

After graduating in July 1985, he was dispatched to the Planning Committee of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as an official. Nine years later, he was transferred to the General Office of the Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where he eventually became its deputy director in June 2000. He concurrently held the deputy director of Financial Work Office in June 2003, rising to director in one year later. In August 2011, he was transferred to Chifeng, a prefecture-level city rich in mineral resources, and appointed deputy party chief. More than two years later, he was appointed head of the Department of Transportation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, concurrently holding the party branch secretary position. In November 2005, he was transferred to Wuhai, which has an abundance of coal, and appointed party chief. His predecessor, Hou Fengqi, was sacked for graft in the same month. In November 2016, he was transferred again to Tongliao and appointed party chief, and promoted to member of the standing committee of the Inner Mongolia Party committee, the region's top authority.[2]

Career in Gansu

In March 2017, he rose to become vice governor of Gansu, an economically backward province in northwest China.[3] He was also a member of the standing committee of the Gansu Party committee, the province's top authority.[3] In June 2018, he was promoted again to become executive vice governor of Gansu, a position he held until January 2021.[4] As executive vice governor, he was responsible for forestry, grassland and natural resources.[1] He was involved in the massive deforestation of state owned Dunhuang Yangguan Forest Farm (敦煌阳关林场) or cases of cutting down thriving forests for grape planting, which made headlines nationwide for the severe damage caused to the Protection Forest in northwest China.[1][5][6]

Downfall

On February 1, 2021, he 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.[7]

References

1. 新年第二虎宋亮：前一天仍登党报头版 曾助包商银行扩张. sina (in Chinese). 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
2. Xu Yuanyuan (许媛媛) (30 November 2016). 宋亮任内蒙古通辽市委书记，罗永纲不再担任 [Song Liang is appointed party chief of Tongliao, replacing Luo Yonggang]. thepaper.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
3. 甘肃新任省委常委宋亮兼任甘肃副省长，高志凌任省文化厅厅长 [Song Liang appoints member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor of Gansu]. thepaper.cn (in Chinese). 30 March 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
4. Zhuang Yu (庄彧) (20 June 2018). 宋亮任甘肃省常务副省长 前任黄强已转任河南省常务副省长(简历) [Song Liang appoints executive vice governor of Gansu]. ce.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
5. Linda Lew (24 January 2021). "Chinese environmentalists up in arms over forest destroyed to make way for vineyards". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
6. Ma Jingna; Li Hongyang (26 January 2021). "No massive deforestation on forest farm in NW China's Gansu: Report". Chinadaily. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
7. "Executive vice governor of China's Gansu Province under investigation". xinhuanet.com. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.