China's anti-graft drive spreads to President Xi Jinping's Fujian power base
Deputy governor is first Fujian official to be ensnared by Xi's widening campaign
President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive has spread to one of his power bases, with a deputy governor of Fujian province becoming the latest target of the seemingly ever-widening campaign.
Xu Gang, 56, was suspected of "seriously violating discipline and law", said the Communist Party's graft-buster, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, using a standard euphemism for corruption.
Xu is the first official from the province to become ensnared in the campaign, which has been running for the past two years.
Sources close to the Fujian provincial government said rumours of an investigation into Xu had been circulating in local circles for the past six months.
"Xu is well-known and criticised for his high-handed style when he was party chief of the province's richest city, Quanzhou. The provincial leadership received many complaints from his subordinates and local people," said one official, who requested anonymity.
A letter published on the internet in 2011, written by someone claiming to be "a Quanzhou retired cadre", described Xu as "an arbitrary party chief for the property industry".
The letter alleged that Xu had meddled in the real estate industry and had been motivated by personal profit when, despite a ban on development in the area, he promoted at least three projects in Quanzhou's old town.