36 Facts About Chen Liangyu

Chen Liangyu is a Chinese politician best known for his tenure as the Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai, the city's top office, and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, from 2002 to 2006.

Chen Liangyu contributed to the city's economic development and was instrumental in Shanghai's bid to host the 2010 World Expo.

In September 2006, Chen Liangyu was removed from office after a scandal came to light about the misuse of money in Shanghai's social security fund.

Chen Liangyu became the second incumbent Politburo member since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre to be expelled from the party.

Chen Liangyu graduated from the PLA Institute of Logistics Engineering, majoring in architecture.

Chen Liangyu had two years of experience working in the military between 1968 and 1970 as part of the PLA 6716 Squadron.

From September 1970 to March 1983, Chen Liangyu worked at the Shanghai Pengpu Machinery Factory as a worker and estimator.

Chen Liangyu was eventually promoted to the capital construction branch vice-section chief.

Chen Liangyu went on a year-long sabbatical to Tongji University.

Chen Liangyu joined the Chinese Communist Party in April 1980.

In February 1987, Chen Liangyu gained a posting as the new magistrate for Huangpu District in Shanghai.

Chen Liangyu went on sabbatical studying public administration at the University of Birmingham from January to September 1992 through a UK government-funded Chevening Scholarship.

Chen Liangyu was promoted to be Deputy Mayor of Shanghai in 1996, concurrently holding the CCP Vice-Secretary position.

Chen Liangyu was therefore granted membership in the Politburo of the CCP Central Committee.

Chen Liangyu is believed to be linked to real estate magnate and banker Zhou Zhengyi in the Shanghai Real Estate scandals, where residents were forced to relocate for new housing developments where old-style apartments were being demolished to build modern-style condominiums.

Chen Liangyu became the CCP Committee Secretary for Shanghai in November 2002, the city's top office.

Chen Liangyu was personally invested in the issue, and during his term in office Shanghai saw significant improvements to its transit system and transport infrastructure.

Additionally, Mr Chen Liangyu oversaw the construction of bridges and tunnels on the Huangpu River, such as the Lupu Bridge.

Chen Liangyu led the Shanghai municipal government in a vigorous urban transformation, in conjunction with the municipal engineering reasonable relocation and resettlement.

Mr Chen Liangyu started at the grassroots and personally visited people who were less well-off; he additionally supervised the implementation of policy measures combating poverty.

Chen Liangyu used a variety of tools to ensure the welfare of the people of Shanghai, including improving pensions and health insurance and other social security programs, developing measures to increase active employees and retirees income, and increasing employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, Chen Liangyu to implement the "technological innovation" and the city through science and education strategy, to increase investment in education, the proportion of Shanghai education and research funding has increased year by year, gradually improving the system of lifelong education.

Chen Liangyu was officially credited with dramatically increasing the size and efficiency of Shanghai's public transportation.

Chen Liangyu held major interests in the Shanghai Shenhua football squad, attending all of their home matches and even supervising some practices.

Chen Liangyu initiated a series of gigantic projects to be finished in time for Shanghai's hosting of the 2010 World Exposition, including shipping 128,000 tons of sand to create a beach in Shanghai's suburbs, building a $209 million world-class tennis complex and a $300 million Formula One circuit racetrack.

Opponents of Chen Liangyu painted him as corrupt, short-tempered, and despotic during Municipal Committee meetings which he chaired.

Supporters of Chen Liangyu credited him with openness and saw him as a progressive leader crucial to Shanghai's economic and social development on the international scene.

Chen Liangyu reportedly clashed with Premier Wen Jiabao openly at a Politburo meeting in Beijing over the issue of economic development, indicating that Chen Liangyu believed the Premier was standing in the way of China's economic development.

Chen Liangyu was a protege of former general secretary Jiang Zemin and considered a core member of the Shanghai Clique.

In carving out a local fiefdom for himself and willing to boldly deviate from the party's official economic policies, Chen Liangyu was seen as a serious rival to general secretary Hu Jintao, and his dismissal was interpreted as a political victory for Hu.

Chen Liangyu was the highest-ranking Chinese official to be sacked since former Beijing party secretary Chen Liangyu Xitong was removed from office in 1994 on charges of corruption.

In July 2007, Chen Liangyu was expelled from the Communist Party, and his case was transferred to judicial authorities.

Thereafter, Chen Liangyu was transferred to Qincheng Prison in the Changping District of Beijing.

Chen Liangyu was represented by Beijing lawyers Gao Zicheng and Liu Limu.

Chen Liangyu faced three charges: embezzlement, abuse of power, and dereliction of duty.

Chen Liangyu acknowledged that he was "partially responsible" for the pension fund scandal, but pleaded 'not guilty' to the charges.