Jin Renqing was replaced abruptly as finance minister in August 2007. Photo: Robert Ng

Former Chinese finance minister Jin Renqing dies after fire at home: report

Elderly victim rushed to hospital but efforts to revive him failed, CCTV reports
Citing unnamed finance ministry sources, Caixin identifies deceased as Jin

Published: 9:37pm, 28 Aug 2021

Former Chinese finance minister Jin Renqing died after a fire broke out in his home in western Beijing on Friday night, according to Chinese media reports. He was 77.

State broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday that a fire started in the flat on Yuyuantan South Road in Haidian district at around 11.47pm.

The address is known to be a residential area for retired senior Finance Ministry cadres. It neighbours the Diaoyutai diplomatic complex and a restricted military zone.

Firefighters extinguished the flames after midnight and an elderly occupant was rushed to Fuxing Hospital, where efforts to revive him failed.

Citing sources close to the Ministry of Finance, news outlet Caixin identified the victim as Jin, who was confined to a wheelchair.

Caixin also reported that Jin’s wife died 10 days ago and he was burning paper offerings for her on his balcony.

Jin had a history of heart problems and might have been suffocated by the thick smoke, the report said.

Firefighters were investigating the cause of the fire.

The Chinese finance minister Jin Renqing (third from right) attends the 17th session of the China-US Joint Economic Committee in Xianghe in October 2005. Photo: AP

In 2007 August, Jin was replaced abruptly as finance minister half a year short of a full five-year term after being compromised in a sex scandal that implicated several senior mainland officials.

His last official post was as deputy director general of the Development Research Centre of the State Council, a position he retained until he retired at age 65.

His departure from the ministry came amid rumours that he was linked in a string of corruption inquiries involving a mix of politics, bribes and mistresses.

Jin’s personal involvement in the scandals was not confirmed but a central figure in his demise was a woman named Li Wei, who was linked to Jin and two other high-profile officials.

Jin introduced Li to then Sinopec chairman Chen Tonghai. She later became the mistress of Du Shicheng, a former deputy Communist Party secretary in the eastern province of Shandong who was also then under investigation for corruption.

Chen was given a suspended death sentence in July this year for taking 195.7 million yuan (US$30.2 million) in bribes.

Du, also the former party secretary of Qingdao, was sentenced to life in prison in February last year for accepting a total of 6.26 million yuan in bribes.