China statistics chief sacked amid corruption probe

BEIJING (Reuters) - The head of China's National Bureau of Statistics has been sacked after authorities announced an anti-corruption investigation against him this week, state media reported on Friday. The ruling Communist Party's top anti-graft watchdog said on Tuesday that Wang Bao'an was "suspected of serious violation of discipline", a euphemism for corruption. Wang was deputy finance minister from 2012 to April 2015, when he took up the powerful post of statistics bureau chief, according to the party's anti-corruption watchdog. Wang could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear whether he had retained a lawyer. State media cited information from the Organisation Department of the Communist Party's Central Committee in reporting he had been sacked. A sweeping anti-corruption campaign by President Xi Jinping has targeted a broad swath of high-ranking officials in industry and government, including many of his formidable political opponents. Military brass, judicial officials and leaders of state-owned companies have been caught up in the crackdown. This month, a former vice public security minister, Li Dongsheng, was jailed for 15 years on corruption charges. (Reporting By Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Robert Birsel)