Tang Renjian, the head of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is "suspected of serious violations of discipline and law", state broadcaster CCTV said. Xi has overseen a sweeping drive to abolish deep-rooted official corruption since coming to power a decade ago. Supporters say the campaign promotes clean governance, but critics say it also provides Xi with the power to purge political rivals. In 2022, then minister of industry and information technology Xiao Yaqing was placed under investigation for corruption. Last month Liu Liange, chairman of the Bank of China from 2019 to 2023, admitted to "accepting bribes and illegally providing loans".

Source: The Standard May 18, 2024 16:06 UTC