Former Political Star in China Is Under Party Investigation<br />But by removing Mr. Sun, Mr. Xi has eliminated a potential obstacle to his efforts to consolidate power later this year, when a Communist<br />Party congress will appoint a new leadership team to serve under him for his second five-year stint as party leader and as president.<br />After the investigation was announced, the Chongqing Communist Party leadership under Mr. Chen praised the decision as "very timely<br />and very correct," and said it demonstrated Mr. Xi’s strong leadership, the Chongqing news media reported.<br />By CHRIS BUCKLEYJULY 24, 2017<br />BEIJING — The Chinese Communist Party said on Monday<br />that Sun Zhengcai, a high-flying politician who had been seen as a potential future premier, was under investigation over suspected "grave violations of discipline," ending his career and raising the stakes of a national leadership shake-up that is just months away.<br />Mr. Sun, 53, is the most senior serving politician purged so far in a five-year drive against corruption, disloyalty and abuse of power<br />that President Xi Jinping began soon after taking control of the Communist Party in late 2012.<br />In a hint of the accusations Mr. Sun may face, the Chongqing leadership also said the decision showed<br />that the "struggle against corruption" would never stop.<br />Mr. Sun also came under political pressure this year after party inspectors accused him<br />and other Chongqing officials of not doing enough to root out the "toxic residue" of Mr. Bo’s influence.
