Bai was born in 1946 in Yuanjiagou village,
Qingjian County,
Shaanxi Province. In early 1980, as part of the drive to promote youthful officials across the country, Bai, with his academic and industrial leadership background, was identified as a promising future leader by the party organization. In September 1983, Bai became the deputy party secretary of Yan'an; two years later he became party chief. In 1987, at the
13th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Bai became an alternate member of the Central Committee. In May 1990, Bai left his home province, working successively in Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Yunnan provinces. He served as the party organization head in Inner Mongolia, the deputy party chief, then deputy party chief, Governor, and Party Secretary of Qinghai province. In October 2001, he became Communist Party Secretary of Yunnan province. In August 2011, having reached the retirement age for ministerial officials of 65, he was replaced by
Qin Guangrong. Following his term as provincial party secretary, Bai served on the Environment and Resource Protection Committee of the
National People's Congress. ==Corruption==