China: A dozen more Chongqing officials could be caught up in Sun Zhengcai corruption probe, sources say – 1 Oct 2017

  • Once the party boss of Chongqing and a candidate to be one of China’s next generation of leaders, Sun was expelled from the Communist Party and faces prosecution.
  • It comes ahead of an important power reshuffle in a few weeks that will decide China’s new leadership under President Xi Jinping for the next five years.
  • State news agency Xinhua on 29 Sep 17 said an investigation had uncovered other evidence of Sun’s alleged crimes, suggesting the probe was not over. Sources said many more officials in Chongqing could be implicated.
  • Already, the party’s central leadership has rejected 14 out of 43 delegates proposed by the Chongqing authorities in May 17 to take part in the 19th National Congress that starts on 18 Oct 17. Their names were missing from the latest shortlist of delegates issued by Xinhua.
  • A total of 2,287 party delegates across the nation are to attend the congress in Beijing to decide the leadership line-up for Xi’s second term and to discuss and endorse major changes to the party charter.
  • It is unusual for a major region like Chongqing to lose one-third of its delegates just weeks before a party congress.
  • A source said six out of 12 newly elected party officials in Chongqing could face investigation for corruption, meaning that the problem might be widespread and serious.
  • Some of the party officials who have lost their delegate status may not face prosecution and could still emerge from the investigation and keep their jobs.

External Link : http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113515/dozen-more-chongqing-officials-could-be-caught-sun

1-Oct-2017