China’s justice minister leaves Communist Party role ‘in sign career is coming to an end’

One commentator says 65-year-old Fu Zhenghua has reached retirement age and move does not appear to be linked to corruption investigation into former colleague

Fu made his name in prostitution bust at elite Beijing nightclub and later helped bring down security chief Zhou Yongkang

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Fu Zhenghua, China’s minister of justice, has stepped down as the ministry’s deputy Communist Party chief. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 3:56pm, 21 Apr 2020Updated: 10:18am, 22 Apr 2020

China’s justice minister, Fu Zhenghua, has stepped down as the ministry’s deputy Communist Party chief, indicating his likely retirement.

Fu, 65, who became minister in 2018, was no longer listed as a party leader on the ministry’s website on Tuesday.

But he is still listed as a minister and member of the Communist Party’s policymaking body, the Central Committee.

According to a report by news site Thepaper.cn on Monday, Fu attended a study meeting of the ministry in late March and was referred to as deputy party secretary and minister. He also took part in an online seminar on the Covid-19 pandemic about a week ago as minister.

State news agency Xinhua reported that Tang Yijun, governor of Liaoning province, appeared at the “Secure China” national conference on Tuesday with Guo Shengkun, chief of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.