Corrupt officials have nowhere to hide, China’s anti-graft watchdog warns

This week, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced both the probe into Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, and the expulsion of a senior figure in Sichuan province.

On Saturday, the commission said these developments showed the party’s “unwavering resolve” in fighting corruption and sent a “strong signal there are no restricted zones”.

It added that the anti-corruption campaign would adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach and cover all areas.

“It is also a warning to all the party members and cadres that no matter how senior they are, how big their contributions were or whether they are retired, if they have engaged in corruption, there is no way out or safe landing,” the CCDI said.

Officials must therefore always remain loyal to the party, and maintain their honesty and integrity, it added.

On Friday, Qiushi, the party’s flagship magazine, published a January speech by President Xi Jinping, in which he said: “The fight against corruption is a major battle that we cannot afford to lose and must never lose.

“We cannot stop for a moment or retreat even half a step … [We must] uproot or cut down ‘sick trees’ wherever necessary.”

It is a common practice to publish old speeches by Xi with the aim of sending a political message at a particular time.

The latest was released less than two weeks before the fifth plenary session of the party’s 20th Central Committee in Beijing, when senior officials are expected to discuss and adopt a major document aimed at “deepening party self-governance”.

On Wednesday, the CCDI announced that Bao Hui, former head of the standing committee of the Chengdu people’s congress in Sichuan, had been expelled from the party for serious violations of discipline and law, a standard euphemism for corruption.

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Former PLA generals expelled from China’s Communist Party for factionalism and disloyalty

The previous day, it said that Huang, 74, who was mayor of Chongqing between 2010 and 2016, was under investigation.

Huang had been seen as a capable economic technocrat and was nicknamed the “financial mayor”. His reputation as a great survivor also prompted media comparisons to a round-bottomed roly poly doll that wobbles but never falls over.

He was last seen in public on September 8 at a forum to discuss the maritime silk road in Fujian province.

He was taken away from his home along with his son Huang Ranfei, who is currently the chairman of investment firm Hongqiao Holdings, Caixin magazine reported.

It added that two senior executives from Yufu, a major financial platform established during the older Huang’s time in Chongqing, had already been placed under investigation.