China on track to break 2023 ‘tigers’ record as top anti-corruption watchdog nets 44

Four officials held over past fortnight take total to highest for January to September, one short of the record 45 for the whole of 2023

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Li Gang, a CCDI disciplinary head who had been deputed to the Communist Party’s top personnel office, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law”. Photo: Weibo/ 球场见626

Published: 6:00pm, 1 Oct 2024Updated: 6:21pm, 1 Oct 2024

With three months still to go on the calendar, China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has detained nearly the same number of “tigers” as it did last year, setting a fresh record for President Xi Jinping’s signature clean-up campaign.

The latest “tiger” to fall is again one of its own, a senior inspector from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – China’s top political disciplinary and anti-corruption agency.

Li Gang, a disciplinary head, had been deputed by the CCDI to the Central Organisation Department – the ruling Communist Party’s top personnel office.

The CCDI announced on Monday that Li was “under disciplinary review and supervision investigation” for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law” – a common official euphemism for corruption.

Three other senior officials have also been placed under investigation on similar charges over the past fortnight.

They are Cao Xingxin, deputy general manager of state-held telecoms giant China Unicom; Sun Yuning, deputy director of the General Administration of Customs; and former deputy education minister Du Yubo.