Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Yujian Falls from Power; Former Colleague Convicted for NT$130 Million in Bribes

(CNA, Shanghai, June 10, by reporter Liao Wen-chi) Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Yujian was officially declared to have fallen from power today and is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervisory investigation. Chen had attended a public event as recently as late May. According to mainland media, a multi-billion yuan illegal fundraising case occurred during his past tenure, and a former colleague was convicted of accepting bribes of nearly 30 million RMB (approximately NT$130 million).

The website of the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission announced this afternoon that Chen Yujian, a member of the Shanghai Municipal Government Party Group and Vice Mayor, is "suspected of serious violations of discipline and law" and is currently under investigation.

According to a report by Caixin, Chen led a team to Lu'an City, Anhui Province for an inspection and research trip from May 27 to 28. This was his last public appearance reported in the media before his downfall.

The Shanghai Municipal Government's official website previously showed that Chen was ranked 8th among the city's leaders. He was responsible for agriculture and rural affairs, health, medical security, cooperation and exchange, and the construction of the Hengsha Xinzhou Modern Agricultural Industrial Park. He supervised the Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission, the Municipal Health Commission, the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Municipal Medical Security Bureau, and the Municipal Government Cooperation and Exchange Office.

Currently, Chen Yujian's information is no longer accessible on the Shanghai Municipal Government's website.

Public records show Chen was born in February 1970 in Tancheng, Shandong. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's in public administration, and is a senior economist.

Chen previously served as deputy general manager of Shanghai Investment Consulting Corporation, and held several director positions within the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, as well as deputy head of the Yangpu District People's Government.

In 2014, Chen became a member of the Standing Committee of the Songjiang District Party Committee and a deputy district head. The Caixin report notes that in 2019, Chen was accused of acting as a "protective umbrella" for the P2P platform Lianbi Finance during his time in Songjiang in 2016. Lianbi Finance collapsed in 2018, causing over 12.5 billion yuan in losses to 1.1 million victims.

In 2019, Chen was transferred to become the head of Minhang District, and in September 2021, he became the Party Secretary of Minhang District. He was elected as a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the CCP in July 2022 and was promoted to Vice Mayor of Shanghai in December 2023, joining the ranks of high-level officials. He later also served as the president of the Shanghai Red Cross Society until stepping down as Minhang's secretary in March 2025.

The report states that on November 11, 2024, Chen's colleague, then-deputy head of Minhang District Wang Xiangyang, was officially announced to be under investigation. In April of this year, a Shanghai court found him guilty in the first instance of accepting over 29.59 million yuan in bribes and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. (Edited by Yang Sheng-ju) 1150610