Xi’s corruption probe keeps body in charge of personnel appointments busy

The busiest Communist Party department during President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign has obviously been its top corruption buster, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). But there is another, less visible bureau facing a heavy burden.

The Central Organisation Department, which is in charge of appointments, has been facing higher pressure than usual to replace leaders taken away in graft investigations, according to a commentary on the official People's Daily website.

Dozens of top government posts have been left vacant in Xi's crackdown on "tigers and flies".

The department, led by Politburo member Zhao Leji, must search for suitable candidates for the vacated posts.

On Wednesday, the department named Ren Xuefeng, former deputy mayor of Tianjin, as party chief of Guangzhou after a two-month vacancy.

Ren replaces Wan Qingliang, who was sacked over a graft investigation.

In Yunnan, Gao Jinsong, the party chief of Qujing city, was promoted to party chief of the province's capital, Kunming . Before that, Kunming had been without a party chief for 47 days.