News: Former Nanjing CPPCC Chairman Shen Jian (沈健) committed suicide recently.
Quick Take: A Nanjing local, Shen’s entire political career since 1975 was based in his hometown. Notably, he was deputy chief of staff and chief of staff to then-Nanjing Mayor and Nanjing Party Secretary Luo Zhijun (罗志军), who later became Jiangsu Party Secretary, for 11 years. Luo was Nanjing Mayor from 2001 to 2003, and Nanjing Party Secretary from 2003 to 2007; Shen was Nanjing Government Secretary-General from 2001 to 2004, and Nanjing CCP Committee Secretary-General from 2004 to 2008, when he was appointed Nanjing Executive Vice Mayor. He was further appointed Nanjing CPPCC Chairman in January 2013, and retired five years later. Before Shen, there had been multiple disruptions in Nanjing since the 18th Party Congress— former Nanjing Mayor Ji Jianye (季建业) was ousted in October 2013, former Nanjing Party Secretary Yang Weize (杨卫泽) was brought down in January 2015, while former Jiangsu Vice Governor Miao Ruilin (缪瑞林), who also did a short stint as Nanjing Mayor, was brought down in November 2018. Shen’s career overlapped with all three.