Shanxi 'tigers' snared in graft probe

Anti-corruption efforts not slowing down after Zhou investigation: expert

Two senior officials from Shanxi province are being investigated for suspected violations of discipline and law, China's discipline watchdog announced on its official website on Saturday.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said it had conducted a probe into Chen Chuanping, Party chief of Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi, and member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanxi Provincial Committee, as well as Nie Chunyu, another member and secretary-general of the Standing Committee of CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee.

The two officials are the first "tigers," or provincial-level officials, probed since the fall of Zhou Yongkang, China's former security chief. Zhou's fall is seen as the climax of China's anti-corruption campaign and previously triggered speculation over whether the crackdown would slow down after Zhou's case.

"The central leadership has zero tolerance for graft and is determined to take resolute measures to eliminate corrupt officials," Xu Yaotong, professor with Department of Research of the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times, adding that the fight against graft will never stop.

The CCDI's announcement came in a swift and abrupt fashion as the two officials were reported chairing meetings and overseeing government work a day ahead of the news of their investigation.

More than 40 provincial-level officials have been investigated since the 18th CPC National Congress, six of whom were from Shanxi Province.

The province has suffered the most inspections in terms of the number of probed high-ranking officials in the ongoing anti-graft campaign, including Ling Zhengce, then vice chairman of Shanxi provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Du Shanxue, member of the Standing Committee of Shanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC, and Jin Daoming, former vice chairman of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee.

The probe into Shen Weichen, then Party chief of China Association for Science and Technology, was also related to his connections in Shanxi Province as Shen had previously worked as the Party secretary of the CPC Taiyuan committee.

"They are not isolated cases. The probed officials from Shanxi have cooperated in work in one way or the other. The inspection will not stop at the fall of one 'tiger,'" said Xu.

Zhu Lijia, professor with the Department of Public Administration and Policy of Chinese Academy of Governance, also said the cases were connected.

"Officials from various arms of the Shanxi administration are being probed, including the Party, the government, the provincial People's Congress and the provincial committee of the CPPCC, indicating that the People's Congress has failed to exercise strict supervision over staff appointment. Unfair promotions by the government and the Party committee, coupled with a lack of supervision by the People's Congress certainly caused more connected cases of corruption," Zhu said.

Meanwhile, a new police chief for the Taiyuan Public Security Bureau was appointed on Sunday. His predecessor was the third police chief removed due to probes in the last three years, thepaper.cn reported.