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The spotlight is on China ex-Chongqing party chief

Bloomberg Published on Mon, Jul 17, 2017 / 7:38 AM GMT+8

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(July 17): Sun Zhengcai, who was abruptly replaced as Communist Party chief of the Chinese city of Chongqing, is under investigation for violating party regulations, according to four officials with knowledge of the matter.

Sun, 53, was the youngest member of the party’s Politburo and was considered a rising star ahead of a key leadership reshuffle later this year. State media reported Saturday that he was replaced by a provincial party chief -- Chen Miner -- who is an associate of President Xi Jinping.

The four officials attended a municipal meeting on Sunday in Chongqing where they were told by a senior local figure that Sun severely damaged the party’s interests and failed the trust of the party. The officials asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Zhou Bo, deputy director of Chongqing’s propaganda department, didn’t answer three calls to his mobile seeking comment.