He entered the Imperial Civil Service, where he got the attention of Yang Zengxin, at the time District Magistrate of Hezhou.

The administrative system remained almost unchanged, while Jin employed the practice of his predecessor of appointing relatives and fellow provincials.

In April 1933 Jin's White Russian troops (naturalized army, 归化军) changed allegiance, encouraged revolt in Xinjiang, ended his reign and forced him to flee to the USSR.

[4] Jin incurred the wrath of the Kuomintang (KMT) when, without approval, he signed an arms treaty with the Soviet Union.

The Tungan Hui General Ma Zhongying allied himself with the KMT and his troops became the 36th Division of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA).

When he returned to China in October 1933 he was arrested by the KMT, brought to trial in March 1935 and sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment.