Former Chinese Party Official Su Rong To Face Prosecution For Corruption

Former Chinese Party official Su Rong will face prosecution for corruption and has been expelled from the Communist Party, media reports said, citing state officials. Su is the latest target of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign by President Xi Jinping.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection confirmed his expulsion on Monday, saying he had abused his position to gain “large bribes,” the BBC reported. He has been expelled from the party and relieved of all positions.

In addition to taking bribes, he had also sought profits for others and abused his post to change official decisions, the statement said.

Su was previously the highest ranking Communist Party official in Jiangxi province. The statement accused him of being “chiefly responsible” for the corruption problem in the area.

He had also served as provincial chief of Qinghai and Gansu provinces.

The large-scale crackdown has targeted both “tigers” (high-ranking officials) and “flies” (local bureaucrats). There are currently 48 “tigers” who have been investigated so far, The Economist reported. The same report speculated on the possible political reasons behind the crackdown, quoting a study that found that no children of influential party leaders, known as “Princelings,” were under investigation.

Su reportedly had ties to former security head Zhou Yongkang, CNN reported. Zhou is one of the highest ranking officials currently targeted by Xi’s sweep, and will face prosecution for major corruption charges, including granting favorable positions to friends and family and exchanging money and power for sex.

Other associates of Zhou have previously been investigated as well, including former intelligence official Ma Jian and mining tycoon Liu Han.