Zhou Yongkang trial marks high point in graft fight, but can Xi Jinping keep up the pace?
Bringing the powerful ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang to trial marks a high point in President Xi Jinping’s war against corruption but questions remain about whether he can build on the momentum.
Bringing the powerful ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang to trial marks a high point in President Xi Jinping's war against corruption but questions remain about whether he can build on the momentum.
China watchers and experts said it was difficult to predict whether Xi would go after another "tiger" of Zhou's stature or someone even bigger. Ling Jihua - the right-hand man of former president Hu Jintao - is under investigation but yet to be charged. But Ling never reached the top echelon of politics.
While there is strong public support for the investigation into Zhou, some worry that too many shocks to the system might split the Communist Party and undermine its foundations.
"The situation is too complicated now," said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University. "The extent of corruption in China is too wide and too deep."
Beijing-based political commentator Zhang Lifan shared the concern, saying "it remains to be seen if the top leadership will stop after Zhou or take down even bigger tigers".
Publicly, Xi has repeatedly vowed on various occasions that the campaign will continue, stressing the need to root out factions within the party. His top commander in the war against corruption - Wang Qishan - has said there would be no "forbidden zones" in the fight against graft.