Tonghai Chen

Definition of 'Tonghai Chen'

A former director and chairman of Chinese energy and chemical company Sinopec Corporation, and fomer president of Sinopec Group. Chen was suddenly removed from his position in 2007, and in 2009 the Chinese government sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting $28 million in bribes.

Investopedia explains 'Tonghai Chen'

Chen was born in 1948 in Shandong, China, and earned his bachelor's degree from the Northeastern Petroleum Institute. He began his career as a geologist with the Daqing Research Institute, then worked for the Zhejiang Science and Technology Commission and Zhenhai Petroleum and Petrochemical General Plant.

In 1983 Chen became a politician, eventually becoming mayor of Ningbo City in 1992 and vice minister of the State Development and Planning Commission. He then joined China Petrochemical Company Group as its vice president in 1998.