Update | Top Chinese general in graft probe commits suicide in Beijing
Zhang Yang suspected of serious disciplinary violations, Xinhua report says
General Zhang Yang, a former head of the powerful Central Military Commission’s (CMC) political work department, committed suicide last week, Chinese state media reported on Tuesday.
He is the most senior miliary officer to have killed himself during ongoing graft investigations targeting the People’s Liberation Army.
A source close to the former Guangzhou Military Command told the South China Morning Post Zhang, 66, had hanged himself at his home in Beijing on the morning of November 23, and the news of his death had been relayed to all five PLA theatre commands over the past few days.
A Xinhua report confirmed the circumstances of his death. It said Zhang had been linked to former disgraced CMC vice-chairmen Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, and was suspected of serious disciplinary violations – a euphemism for corruption.
Guo, 75, a CMC vice-chairman between 2002 and 2012, is serving a life sentence in jail for graft. Xu, a CMC vice-chairman between 2004 and 2012, died of cancer in 2015 at the age of 72 while in custody and under investigation for graft.