Strict on graft, China sacks two top officials over corruption charges

China’s ruling Communist Party has sacked two provincial officials, including a former close aide of a top retired leader, over allegations of corruption and ordered investigations against them. Vice governor of south China’s Hainan Province Ji Wenlin and vice chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Zhu Zuoli were removed from their posts on Thursday, state-run Xinhua news agency said today, citing an official with the Organisation Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. They were under investigation for ‘serious violations of discipline and laws,’ a usual reference to corruption. This brings the number of high-level officials being probed for graft to 20 since the new leadership headed by President Xi Jinping took over power in the once-in-a-decade leadership change last year. Observers here said the investigations against Ji, 47, who was a secretary and close aide of Zhou Yongkong, a top leader in the previous government headed by Hu Jintao, could be a prelude to the arrest of Zhou himself.