A controversial mainland crimebuster removed from his job last week was whisked away by party authorities yesterday after apparently trying to seek asylum at a US consulate.
Rumours circulated on the internet that Chongqing Vice-Mayor Wang Lijun - a powerful ally of Chongqing party chief and Politburo Standing Committee hopeful Bo Xilai - turned up at the American consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan province, carrying top-secret papers.
His apparent downfall casts doubt over Bo's political future and also raises the possibility of an intense power struggle ahead of the leadership transition.
A Beijing-based media source and a Chongqing police source said he was taken to Beijing yesterday by a task force from the party's top disciplinary body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Wang, 52, made his name spearheading a triad-busting operation launched by Bo. But he was put on 'stress leave' and asked to focus on education and culture after rumours he had fallen out with Bo, who is aiming to join the party's innermost power circle in a leadership reshuffle this autumn. The term 'stress leave' is rarely used but is taken to indicate a political purge.
The Chongqing municipal government said in a statement: 'Due to long-term overwork, a high level of mental stress and physical exhaustion, Vice-Mayor Wang Lijun is currently receiving vacation-style treatment following approval.'