Sichuan province officials vow to erase the legacy of former strongman Zhou Yongkang
No clue linked to the former security chief will be overlooked, officials warn
Sichuan has vowed to erase the legacy of disgraced former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, who was the provincial party secretary more than a decade ago, Xinhua reports.
A circular issued by the Sichuan Communist Party Committee said the authorities would fight corruption firmly and eradicate the pernicious effects on the local political environment and economy a result of Zhou’s influence.
It said no clue linked to Zhou’s case would be overlooked. Any official found connected with Zhou – who, as a former member of the central politburo standing committee, the was one of the most powerful men in China – will be investigated, regardless of this standing.
The authorities will also look into cases in which officials colluded with other officials or businessmen to play up to Zhou.
Another area which will receive much attention from the provincial authorities is senior officials’ intervention into key projects in order to gain personal interests. The circular said the disciplinary authority had investigated 171 cases involving in the restructured shareholdings of state-owned enterprises; the transfer of coal mines, water and land resources; key construction projects and government procurement. As a result, 165 officials were disciplined.
At the time of his retirement in November 2012, Zhou was one of the most powerful men in China. During his career he built a extensive power base – and, it is alleged, a vast personal fortune – in the nation’s oil industry, as the top official in Sichuan, and as head of the nation’s public security.
He was also a member of the politburo standing committee, the nation’s top decision-making bodies, first as minister of public security then secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
Zhou held the 9th most senior rank in the Communist Party. But the downfall of Chongqing mayor and staunch ally Bo Xilai, marked the downfall of Zhou. An internal investigation of “violations of party discipline” was announced in late July, 2014. His formal arrest to face criminal charges, and expulsion from the party, were announced on December 4.
In a separate announcement, the Shanghai municipal government said it would step up the regulation of the business activities of senior officials’ family members. An inspection will be launched soon to check if any senior officials’ spouses, children and their spouses had been engaged in business operations under the officials’ jurisdiction.
Urged by the central disciplinary watchdog, Shanghai also required its television and broadcasting conglomerate to examine its investment over the last few years.