The Chinese Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog has launched an investigation into a Politburo member who was once seen as a contender for a top leadership post, state media reported Monday.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Sun Zhengcai, who until a week ago was party chief in the major city of Chongqing, for “serious discipline violation”, Xinhua news agency said.
Sun is the first serving member of the 25-person Politburo to be placed under investigation since Bo Xilai, who was jailed for life in 2013 in the wake of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
Xinhua’s brief report did not say whether Sun would remain a member of the Politburo. His replacement as party chief in Chongqing was announced on July 15.
The shake-up in Chongqing comes as the Communist Party prepares for a congress later this year that is expected to cement Xi’s position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation.
Sun, who was replaced in the city by former Xi aide Chen Miner, had once been tipped as a contender for promotion to the Politburo’s elite seven-member standing committee, the nation’s top political body.
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