Huang Baokun

Huang Baokun is a Chinese retired intelligence officer and police officer who led provincial units of both the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). His final role, director-general of the Shanghai State Security Bureau, ended in disgrace after he was publicly accused of raping the daughter of a subordinate. Regarded as a member of Xi Jinping's faction of the Communist Party (CCP), he is currently a member of the Shanghai provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a semi-retirement role.

Early life and education Huang was born in January 1963 in Longyou County, Zhejiang. He began his career with the Ministry of Public Security in December 1982 and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in January 1985. From 1985 to 1988, Huang took law courses at the Communication University of Zhejiang but left without a degree.

Later in his career, Huang returned to school to finish his bachelor's degree in law from 1999 to 2001 through the correspondence college of the CCP Central Party School. Afterward, from 2002 to 2005, he attended graduate school within the Party School of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee.

In March 2008, Huang moved from municipal operations of the MPS to the provincial level, serving a few months as deputy director of the Political Department of the Zhejiang Public Security Department, before becoming captain of the Economic Crime Investigation Corps of the Zhejiang PSD, a position he held from August 2008 through the end of 2011.

State security career In June 2016, Huang was moved from the MPS into the Ministry of State Security with a brief preparatory assignment as secretary of the party committee of the Zhejiang State Security Department. By August 1, the Standing Committee of the 12th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress had announced Huang as the new director of the Zhejiang SSD, succeeding Wang Han, who had transferred to become provincial chief procurator. According to RFA, some analysts believe that the accusation was related to hidden power struggles within the CCP, as Huang is regarded as a member of Xi Jinping's faction of the CCP, known as the New Zhijiang Army.

Retirement In January 2023, Huang was appointed deputy director of the Social and Legal Committee of the 13th Shanghai Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a typical semi-retirement role for those whose upward potential within the party has been exhausted.