Anti-graft tsar Wang Qishan a fan of TV series House of Cards, report says

Wang Qishan, China's anti-corruption tsar, is a fan of the American political drama House of Cards, according to the Hong Kong-based magazine Phoenix Weekly.

An article published yesterday quoted an unnamed source as saying that Wang mentioned the drama when meeting cadres from the Communist Party's disciplinary watchdog. The source said Wang highlighted the role of the "party whip" in ensuring party discipline in the legislature.

The drama, adapted from an earlier British one, is about an ambitious House of Representatives majority whip who wants to take revenge on the people who betrayed him in a political intrigue. A whip in US politics usually helps the leader of a party get the support of party members when legislation is proposed.

Wang, who is known as a "firefighter" for his trouble-shooting skills, has been accelerating his efforts to crack down on corruption since he took over the reins of the party's anti-graft body last year.

Over a dozen vice-ministerial level officials have been placed under investigation, including Chen Anzhong, deputy director of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress. Chen's case was announced by the central graft watchdog yesterday.

The article said Wang refused to accept mooncake gifts offered by friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. It said Wang and his wife, Yao Mingshan, the daughter of former vice-premier Yao Yilin , preferred to invite friends over for dinner at home to set an example for party officials who were used to spending money on luxury banquets and entertainment. The magazine did not reveal the source of information because the private lives of party elites are normally fiercely guarded.