Ling Jihua, senior China official believed to be graft probe target, gushes support for President Xi
Ling Jihua's show of loyalty to President Xi Jinping comes amid media revelations of the business activities of his family members
As mainland media continue to unveil unsavoury business dealings involving the family of Ling Jihua, the former presidential aide has kept active in political life by appearing in public and even writing for a party journal, adding to confusion over his own fate.
Ling, former president Hu Jintao's top aide whose family and associates are being investigated for graft, came out with a show of loyalty to President Xi Jinping in an article published on Monday by the Communist Party's flagship journal Qiushi, or Seeking Truth.
In it, Ling quotes Xi at least 16 times as he stresses the importance of an ethnically diverse yet unified China. Echoing the president's words, he highlights the importance of "achieving the Chinese Dream of a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation".
His 4,000-word piece - which cites Xi's speeches in every paragraph - lists eight principles that "must be adhered to", including following the party leadership, the socialist road with Chinese characteristics, and safeguarding the country's unification.
It is unclear if the Qiushi article indicates Ling's political salvation. Some experts say it signals only temporary safety from becoming one of the hunted "tigers" of Xi's anti-corruption campaign.
"The fact that he's able to publish a major article means he's relatively secure even though his brothers are under investigation," said Bo Zhiyue, a senior researcher at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore.