China has launched another high profile investigation — this time targeting Ling Jihua, a top adviser of former President Hu Jintao — signalling an acceleration of the President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
A Xinhua report described Mr. Ling as a senior Party official and national political adviser, who is being investigated for “suspected serious disciplinary violation”. He was demoted in 2012 after reports surfaced that his son had died in Beijing in a crash of his Ferrari sports car.
China’s anti-corruption campaign has already felled Zhou Yongkang, a former state security chief and a one-time Politburo member, who has been arrested.
Mr. Zhou became highest-ranking official probed for corruption since 1949.
President Xi has launched an energetic anti-corruption drive that is homing on to “tigers” and “flies”— top officials and junior bureaucrats.
The “tigers” that have been netted include Xu Caihou, a general who was once vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, which Mr. Xi heads. Mr. Xu has been accused of trading military promotions for bribes.
