Xi foiled coup by ex-political heavyweights: Official

Beijing, October 20

Chinese President Xi Jinping has foiled a coup by former political heavyweights who were at the receiving end of his high-profile anti-graft campaign, a top Chinese official has revealed.

Xi, who is set for a second five-year term as general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), has saved the party by foiling a coup plot by his detractors, Liu Shiyu, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission said.

Liu made the stunning disclosure at a meeting on the sidelines of the going once-in-a-five-year congress of the CPC here, according to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post. Speaking at a panel on the sidelines of the 19th CPC Congress here yesterday, Li has accused a string of disgraced cadres of plotting to seize the reins of power, it reported today.

Among those named was the former party boss of megacity Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, once a front-runner for a place in the inner circle – the Politburo Standing Committee, who along with his wife was summarily removed by Xi. Both were taken away for disciplinary investigations.

Sun’s fall from grace in July reminded many of the dramatic downfall of one of his predecessors in both Chongqing Bo Xilai, five years ago, ahead of the previous party congress.

Bo who once regarded as rival to Xi five years ago is currently in prison, serving a life sentence. Rumours have been gripping Beijing over likely fallout of Xi’s massive anti-corruption campaign against “tigers and flies” in which former security czar, Zhou Yongkang, Bo and host of top generals have been put to trials. This is the first time an official disclosed it.

Considering the threats faced by him, Xi, 64, has been provided with the highest personal security.

Like Bo, Zhou too is serving life term in jail after accepting a host of charges against him.

“Xi addressed the cases of Bo Xilai, Zhou Yongkang, Ling Jihua, Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong and Sun Zhengcai. They had high positions and great power in the party, but they were hugely corrupt and plotted to usurp the party’s leadership and seize state power,” Liu said, becoming the first senior official to accuse Sun of trying to take over the party.

A report by state-run Xinhua news agency said late last month that Sun had been expelled from the party and handed over to judicial authorities for further investigation. The announcement came two months after his downfall but no details of the investigation were released. —PTI