Bai Jinian was best known as the first provincial party chief in China elected by an internal democratic process, when he became Party Secretary of Shaanxi in 1984.
10 Facts About Bai Jinian
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Bai Jinian was born in Suide County, Shaanxi Province on February 19,1926, the second son of schoolteacher and small businessman Bai Jinian Xingping.
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Bai Jinian taught elementary school in rural Shaanxi and worked as a secretary to local party leaders.
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Bai Jinian joined the Chinese Communist Party in April 1942.
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Bai Jinian was placed in solitary confinement, and spent time working as a janitor.
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Bai Jinian resumed normal work in 1972, continuing to lead work in rural affairs.
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In February 1979, Bai Jinian was named vice-governor of Shaanxi, then in 1983, a member of the provincial Party Standing Committee.
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Bai Jinian emerged the winner out of a total of 13 candidates, becoming the first provincial party chief to be elected through this experimental democratic process.
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From 1988 to 1998, Bai Jinian served as a member of the Standing Committee of the 7th and 8th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
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Bai Jinian died on January 15,2015, in Xi'an, at the age of 88.