Zhou Enlai's niece urges President Xi Jinping to persist with anti-graft campaign
Zhou Enlai's niece insists that president's efforts will bring country hope
President Xi Jinping must persist with his anti-graft campaign or "the country has no hope", according to the niece of the People's Republic's first premier, Zhou Enlai.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, 77-year-old Zhou Bingde criticised some cadres' luxurious lifestyles and expressed strong support for Xi's anti-corruption campaign, which is sweeping through the government, state-owned enterprises and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
"The vested-interest groups he has targeted are, of course, not happy, and they will put up resistance. But common people hope he can be persistent," said Zhou. "He has to carry on to the end so that our country can have hope." Speaking of the recent string of corruption cases within the PLA, Zhou said "corruption in the army is a disaster to a country".
Zhou praised General Liu Yuan , son of late president Liu Shaoqi and political commissar of the PLA's General Logistics Department, for tackling army corruption.
"I am grateful to him. He was brave," said Zhou.
Since Zhou and his wife did not have children, Zhou Bingde moved into the premier's home in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound. She grew up with the couple and lived with them until she was married.
As a "princeling" herself, Zhou is against people who count on their privileged background to get involved in politics.