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Li Jing

Xinhua has made a rare acknowledgment of factions within the Communist Party, and named key members who are tied to disgraced top cadres Zhou Yongkang and Ling Jihua.
But President Xi Jinping had weighed the risks in going after such "tigers", the state mouthpiece said. "Tigers" refer to leading national figures targeted in the anti-corruption campaign.
In an article carried on its affiliated news portal over the weekend, Xinhua named several fallen senior officials as connected to the so-called Shanxi Gang, Secretary Gang and Petroleum Gang.
The party's 25-member Politburo said last week it would not tolerate cadres forming political factions for personal business.
Last year saw graft probes against Zhou, the former security tsar, Ling, ex-presidential aide, retired No 2 General Xu Caihou and former deputy head of the national political advisory body, Su Rong.
In a separate article, Xinhua said only the "brave" could withstand the risks and challenges to "declare war" on vested interests and tackle deeply rooted problems within the party.
It said the investigations into the fallen officials had convinced the public that the authorities were determined to eradicate corruption. Xi had gone after the "tigers" "not without weighing [the consequences]". "But we have identified the mission and purpose of the party, as well as what people expected [of us]," Xinhua quoted him as saying, without detailing when or where the comments were made.
The first article said members of the Secretary Gang included several top aides and former personal secretaries of Zhou, including former Sichuan vice-governor Guo Yongxiang, former chairman of the Sichuan political advisory committee Li Chongxi, and former deputy governor of Hainan province Ji Wenlin.
The Petroleum Gang included Jiang Jiemin, another aide to Zhou and a former chairman of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, as well as his subordinates, while Ling was a member of the Shanxi Gang, Xinhua said.
Xinhua said there were often open or shadowy factions behind the disgraced "tigers" and posed a great danger to the party.
Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University, said mainland media had long reported the existence of the three "gangs", but the Xinhua articles meant the party was willing to admit to them.
"At least it means there are different factions and interests groups within the party," Zhang said.
But Xinhua was not referencing other factions commonly held to exist, such as the "princeling gang", "Shanghai gang" and "Youth League gang", which were influential behind the scene, he said.


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Xinhua's article says members of the Secretary Gang included several top aides and former personal secretaries of Zhou Yongkang, including former Sichuan vice-governor Guo Yongxiang (from left), former chairman of the Sichuan political advisory committee Li Chongxi, and former deputy governor of Hainan province Ji Wenlin.

Xinhua's article says members of the Secretary Gang included several top aides and former personal secretaries of Zhou Yongkang. Photo: AP

Xinhua's article says members of the Secretary Gang included several top aides and former personal secretaries of Zhou Yongkang. Photo: Reuters

News

China

State media identifies key members of Shanxi Gang, Secretary Gang and Petroleum Gang


Xinhua has made a rare acknowledgment of factions within the Communist Party, and named key members who are tied to disgraced top cadres Zhou Yongkang and Ling Jihua.


Zhou Yongkang

Ling Jihua