The suicide of Beijing vice-mayor Wang Baosen has plunged the city and Communist Party into turmoil, highlighting not only illegal profiteering by municipal officials but also the political agenda of those leading the anti-corruption drive. IT WAS a sunny day when Wang Baosen, 60, former vice-mayor of Beijing, asked his driver to take him along the scenic road leading to the ancient imperial town of Chengde north of the capital. Reaching the midway town of Huairou, he demanded to be taken along the southern side of Beijing's water reservoir on the foothills of the Yan Shan mountains, not far from a deserted stretch of the Great Wall. Wang sent the car back to Beijing, telling the hesitating driver he was meeting somebody with another car. The chauffeur obeyed, but had second thoughts while driving back to Beijing. He returned, but could not find the vice-mayor. Two days later, a search party found Wang's body. He had walked until reaching a lonely spot right on the lake, where he shot himself. The decision had not been taken lightly: the butts of two packets of cigarettes were found beside his corpse. The suicide has brought turmoil to the Communist Party and Beijing's municipality. An investigation commission has been set up headed by no less than three of the most powerful politicians in China - Party chief Jiang Zemin, Prime Minister Li Peng and People's Congress chairman Qiao Shi, who is also secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Wang had no choice. He had been informed of an investigation mounted by the party's disciplinary commission against his office and other leaders of the Beijing municipality. He was facing months of investigation and humiliation for his family which, he was told, would lead anyhow to execution. With his suicide he forced the authorities to widen the investigation to include others in Beijing's party and municipality leadership. 'He wanted the investigation and wanted to make a point - as suicides of senior politicians have always done in China's history,' a source said. 'Now a fully-fledged scandal has broken out and it is very unlikely that others in the leadership like Communist Party boss Chen Xitong, mayor Li Qiyan and vice-mayor Zhang Baifa can be spared. They have at least to be punished for mismanagement and moved from their offices,' one source said. Two of their powerful secretaries have already been detained. One has allegedly committed suicide as well. The move against the Beijing leadership is linked to illegal profiteering in property but sources say there was also a political motivation. Twice in recent history - in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution and in 1978-9 - Beijing municipality has been the showplace of purges arising from political rivalry. 'The current case, although revolving around corruption, is a sign of party infighting,' one highly placed source said. Problems began in autumn last year when party boss Jiang Zemin targeted corruption in a bid to strengthen his leadership. People's Congress chairman Mr Qiao and vice-chairman Tian Jiyun raised the alarm. In September, during the fourth plenary session of the Communist Party's Central Committee, Mr Qiao blamed corruption for degeneration of the party. 'The wolf has appeared for the party and it may be doomed. The position of the party has been shaken in society and the masses as a result of degeneration on the part of party cadres,' Mr Qiao said. As a result of that meeting, the Beijing Party and municipality leadership came under scrutiny. Property deals and investment activities were investigated. The party's disciplinary commission was helped by a huge number of denunciation letters detailing corruption not only in the granting of building permits but also in job offers. Building-site selection in central Beijing and authorisation procedures were investigated. Caught in the corruption net are not only municipality leaders, but also Chinese corporations such as Beijing Shougang (whose former head in Hong Kong has been detained for serious economic crimes, the exact nature of which remain under wraps) and Hong Kong property companies which are rumoured to have cleared the way for building permits by offering 'incentives'. City leaders were offered invitations to other Asian capitals, their children's education at overseas universities was taken care of and gifts like luxury cars were commonplace. 'Gratitudes' and commissions were allegedly paid into officials' secret bank accounts in Hong Kong and Europe. 'I know of cases where Hong Kong businessmen arrived with three or four brand new cars for restaurant meetings and just left the car keys for their guests behind after paying the bills,' said a source. In this way, deals for property development were smoothed. At the fifth plenary session of the Central Discipline Inspection Commission on January 23, the anti-corruption drive was highlighted and 'ultra-individualism and corrosive lifestyles' were criticised. Mr Jiang said: 'Some of our people have lost their ability to distinguish and resist decadent lifestyle and values. They have been poisoned and refuse to come to their senses. I think it is time to wake them up.' He said party comrades should avoid 'red lanterns and green wine places of debauchery' and banned all leading cadres from using luxury imported sedan cars, or from borrowing such cars from 'business friends' or using loans from their own departments for buying cars. Despite all the regulations, every month officials seem to be driving a flashier vehicle. Stretch Cadillacs with tinted windows, more commonly seen transporting Hollywood film stars, are now appearing on Beijing's roads. More and more extravagant restaurants and night clubs are opening in Beijing - luring officials into the radius of triads and organised crime. Some cater to the XO-drinking clientele of state-owned companies, as well as ministry and municipality officials. In Beijing and other cities across China, old quarters are being razed without any consultations or visible concern for the citizens who live there. Public protest against developers has already taken place in Shanghai and other cities. Leaders have admitted that no 'grass root' consultations are taking place. Commercial interests of developers, who openly brag about their guanxi, (connections) have been pursued without any consideration either for residents or for the aesthetics of city development. And officials in charge of licences and building permits are accused of behaving like feudal rulers. Not many could resist the temptation of making fast money, but after Wang's suicide the big question in Beijing is: who will be drawn into the investigation? Powerful Chen Xitong served as vice-mayor of Beijing as early as 1979 and mayor since 1983. He was elected to the Politburo in 1992. Foreign Trade Minister Wu Yi rose to prominence as vice-mayor of Beijing and worked closely with Wang. 'It will be a political decision to say where and when the investigation stops,' said a well-informed source.