Beijing 'ready to begin' trying associates of Zhou Yongkang

Mainland authorities are ready to put a group of officials and businesspeople connected with former state leader Zhou Yongkang on trial, say sources familiar with the situation.

The proceedings could start as early as next month and would be carried out one by one, they said. These will pave the way for a possible public hearing for Zhou, who could become the highest-ranking party official to face trial for economic crimes.

Zhou will first be ousted from the Communist Party. This will probably take place after a leadership meeting in October. His case would then be transferred to judicial authorities to prepare for a public hearing, one of the sources said.

That person added that Zhou's trial could be handled in a format similar to that of Bo Xilai, a political ally of Zhou and the former party chief of Chongqing.

Bo, who was jailed for life last year, was given a public trial that attracted media attention around the world.

While only a few mainland journalists were allowed to attend, the trial was publicised through regular but heavily censored updates on an official court blog.

The corruption investigation into Zhou, a former Politburo Standing Committee member, was only announced on July 29. But many officials and businesspeople linked to him were detained and questioned as early as late 2012 - when graft investigators targeted former Sichuan deputy party chief Li Chuncheng.