Exclusive | He’s the anti-graft tsar about to leave China’s top leadership. So what will happen to Wang Qishan?

Wang Qishan, the feared anti-graft tsar billed as “China’s second most powerful man”, is likely to step down from the ruling Communist Party’s supreme Politburo Standing Committee on Wednesday, sources have told the South China Morning Post.

On Sunday, delegates to the party’s national congress in Beijing held closed-door meetings to discuss the lists of candidates for its elite Central Committee and anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Two sources who have seen the lists confirmed to the Post that Wang was not among the names, meaning he will step down from the Politburo Standing Committee.

Zhao Leji, the party’s organisation chief, appeared on both lists, confirming an earlier Post exclusive report that he is expected to take over anti-corruption responsibilities from Wang.

But the trusted ally of President Xi Jinping is unlikely to go into full retirement. Nicknamed the party’s “fire chief” for his ability to manage political crises, Wang could still help Xi in some other capacity, sources familiar with the top-level discussion said.

Speculation about Wang’s future dominated overseas media discussion of the party’s national congress – which will usher in sweeping leadership changes – ahead of its opening on Wednesday. That is a reflection of the weight Wang carries as the galvanising force behind Xi’s popular anti-corruption campaign, a role that has made him widely respected and feared within the party.