Former Communist Party boss of Yunnan Qin Guangrong investigated for corruption
- Ex-provincial chief, 68, accused of ‘serious violations of party discipline and laws’, according to official statement
- Qin, whose former boss was given a suspended death sentence in 2016, handed himself in, authorities say
A former Communist Party boss of southwest China’s Yunnan province is being investigated for suspected corruption, according to an official notice published on Thursday.
The statement did not say when Qin handed himself in but said he was being investigated for “serious violations of party discipline and laws”, the usual euphemism for corruption.
The 68-year-old is one of the most senior officials to have turned himself in since China’s top leadership launched a nationwide crackdown more than six years ago.
Following a spate of arrests during his first term as president, Xi Jinping said in December that the party had achieved a “crushing victory” in its war on corruption.
Over the past two years there has been a growing trend for cadres turning themselves in. The National Supervisory Commission, which is the country’s top anti-corruption body, said in its annual report in February that more than 5,000 cadres, many of whom held provincial and ministerial level positions, had done so since late 2017.