China's state media only carries bare bones reports on Ling Jihua corruption probe
Probe features prominently in mainland media, but most have kept to a short official statement
State-run media on the mainland have given prominent coverage to a short report about the corruption investigation into former presidential aide Ling Jihua, but have largely run only the brief statement from Xinhua.
More commercial newspapers such as The Beijing News and the Oriental Morning Post in Shanghai ran the story underneath their front page headline, but then, like other state media outlets, referred only to the one-sentence report issued by Xinhua on Monday evening.
The report said Ling was under investigation for corruption, but gave no further details. The Oriental Morning Post also referred to a graft investigation into other government officials with links to Shanxi, Ling’s home province.
Jin Daoming, a former deputy party chief in the province, and Shen Weichen, an ex-senior official in the provincial capital Taiyuan, are also the focus of corruption investigations.
Several sources have previously told the South China Morning Post that investigators are looking into the affairs of officials dubbed the “Shanxi gang”.
The People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, ran the brief Xinhua report into the investigation into Ling on the bottom of page four.
The Chinese edition of the Global Times, a tabloid linked to the People’s Daily, said in its editorial that Ling’s fall from grace would reassure the public that the anti-corruption campaign would continue and no official was beyond punishment, however senior.
It also said there had been “rumours” among the public that Ling was in trouble.
The South China Morning Post has reported previously on Ling’s demotion as top aide to ex-president Hu Jintao after allegations that he tried to cover up details of the death of his son in car crash in 2012.
Ling Gu’s semi-naked body was recovered after his Ferrari crashed late one night in March in Beijing. Two women with him, one naked and one partially clothed, were seriously injured.
