52-year old Zhong Yang, referred to as “the beautiful governor” for her striking looks, served as the governor and deputy secretary of the Party in Qiannan prefecture, Guizhou province. She gained recognition for founding a fruit and agriculture association aimed at aiding farmers and spent her own funds to support the elderly in need.

However, a January documentary produced by Guizhou Radio and Television uncovered a different Zhong.

It turned out that the official was involved in bribery and abuse of office to ensure that favoured companies received lucrative contracts. For instance, Zhong approved the development of 170,000 square metres of land in a hi-tech industrial estate for a businessman with whom she had a close relationship; that businessman subsequently converted the land for real estate development, from which Zhong allegedly profited significantly. According to law enforcement, while in office, the former governor accepted nearly 60 million yuan in bribes (roughly 8.6 million US dollars).

Additionally, Zhong was accused of having multiple love affairs with her male subordinates: she is said to have had 58 lovers in total. Some men had close relationship with her because of the advantages offered; others did so out of fear of her authority. The official spent time with her lovers using excuses like “working overtime” and “business trips”.

The investigation launched into Zhong in April 2023 concluded with a sentence to 13-year imprisonment and a fine of 1 million yuan (roughly 143 thousand US dollars). Zhong Yang was also expelled from the Communist Party of China and ousted from public office, marking one of the most severe political penalties for officials in the country.