Xi’s corruption crackdown nets record number of top officials in China
By Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft drive has ensnared a record number of senior cadres this year, with more than a month left to go.
Beijing on Thursday announced a probe into Yang Kening, a former political adviser in the southwestern province of Sichuan, according to a notice issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The investigation brings the number of senior officials targeted by Xi’s campaign since January to 42, breaking the record set in 2014 even without including two ousted ministers who are likely being investigated.
The record probes underscore the continued intensity of Xi’s signature anti-corruption push, which he has leveraged to discipline the ruling Communist Party and purge political rivals since taking office in 2012. China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong is now confronting a persistent economic slowdown a year after unprecedented spontaneous street protests prompted him to abandon the world’s strictest COVID lockdown measures.
Yang, 61, stepped down this January from the vice-ministerial position on Sichuan’s political consultative conference after overseeing a Tibetan prefecture in the province for much of his career.
Yang’s investigation adds to a record number of retired senior officials ensnared by China’s graft buster this year. At least 18 retired senior cadres were probed this year, a departure from the norm that reflects the forcefulness of the anti-corruption push.
Until recently, retirement was generally believed to offer senior cadres a level of protection against prosecution. Yang last appeared in public on Monday, where he attended a government-hosted celebration as an elder leader.
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
