26 April 2013. Zhang Xuan has been the party secretary of Chongquing throughout the Bo Xilai era. The reason for her sacking has not been made public. Zhang was criticized for not investigating corrupt former chief court administrator Zhao Junru and reassigning his subordinates.
Zhang Xuan was a close confidante of Bo Xilai who remains in custody awaiting trial for corruption. Beginning her career as deputy administrator of the court in 2001, she became acting chief administrator after her predecessor resigned from his position after being reprimanded. At the age of 44 she was named a Level 2 judge making he the youngest of 41 assigned judges. She became the deputy party secretary of the municipality in May 2007 and later the president of the local party school. She resigned her court’s chief position in 2007 to become the director of the city’s standing committee in January this year.
Zhang has been an alternate member of the party central committee for three consecutive terms and has worked with high-profile former Chongqing party chiefs including Wang Yang, Bo, Zhang Dejiang and Sun Zhengcai.
