Seven High-Ranking Officials Fall in One Day... China Continues Anti-Corruption Drive

China, which is pushing for a high-intensity crackdown on corruption in the new year, announced that a total of seven high-ranking officials were ousted in just one day on the 2nd.

The Communist Party's top disciplinary body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission (CCDI-NSC), announced on its website that it is investigating Tang Yijun, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Political Consultative Conference, for serious violations of discipline and law.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Tang Yijun served as Minister of Justice for three years starting in 2020. He is classified as a close aide of President Xi Jinping, being a member of the 'Zhejiang Army,' Xi's direct subordinates when Xi was Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province. Tang had been publicly active until the end of last month but was recorded as the second minister-level 'tiger' (high-ranking official accused of corruption) to fall this year.

Earlier, Chinese authorities announced at the end of last month that Li Wepeng, a minister-level figure from the democratic parties cooperating with the Communist Party, was under investigation for "serious dereliction of duty."

On the same day, the CCDI-NSC also announced that An Jin, former Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of the state-owned Anhui Jianghuai Train Group, is being investigated for serious violations of discipline and law. An Jin was included in the investigation despite having retired three years ago.

In addition, the downfall of a total of seven officials was announced, including Dong Xiancheng, former Deputy Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Transportation; current Deputy Director Yao Jenyong; Lu Chunchai of the Agricultural Development Bank of China; and Fang Zi, former Executive Vice President of the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

President Xi Jinping, at a Communist Party leadership meeting on the 29th of last month, stated, "We must resolutely eliminate the soil and conditions where corruption can breed," signaling that the high-intensity anti-corruption drive will continue this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.