Song Liang

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.

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]

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]

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]