He climbed to the bureau chief position by pulling strings.
Tips
culture
跑官 is a charged term from PRC anti-corruption discourse, often paired as 跑官买官 ('lobbying for and buying offices'). It implies the distortion of merit-based promotion via gift-giving, banquets, and 关系.
memory
Literally 'to run after an official post' - picture someone literally running around (跑) chasing an 官 (official position).
