Ex-Guangzhou mayor Zhang appears in public after suicide rumours
Former Guangzhou mayor facing probe over Asian Games corruption allegations attends conference to end internet death speculation
Former Guangzhou mayor and party chief Zhang Guangning made a public appearance yesterday morning amid rumours that he had been placed under internal disciplinary investigation by the Communist Party and that he had committed suicide.
Zhang was photographed wearing a white shirt and black pants while walking into a conference regarding police work, the Yangcheng Evening News reported yesterday. The appearance followed rumours in cyberspace a day earlier that said Zhang was under investigation over alleged illegal profits made during the Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010 and had taken his own life.
His presence made headlines in the province, with a photo showing him standing behind Zhu Mingguo , deputy party secretary of Guangdong.
Zhang stepped down as Guangzhou party secretary in December amid leadership reshuffles, replaced by the city's then-mayor Wan Qingliang .
He was tipped for a position with the Central Government's Liaison Office in Hong Kong or Macau, but was also rumoured to be in line for a high-ranking position in Beijing or a role in Hainan as the province's executive vice-governor.
Zhang was elected a delegate for Guangdong in May to attend the Communist Party's national congress later this year. However, the 59-year-old former steelworker's next political appointment remains unclear.