The Chinese government has announced the expulsion of Ma Xingrui from\nthe Communist Party of China (CPC) after an internal investigation found\nalleged disciplinary violations and corruption offences.<\/p>\n
According to the government news agency Xinhua, Ma is suspected of\nabusing his authority in official appointments, arranging jobs for\ncertain parties, accepting illegal gifts, helping relatives purchase\nproperty below market price, and engaging in transactions described as\n\u2018power traded for money and sex\u2019.<\/p>\n
Investigators also accused Ma of allowing his family members to\nexploit his political influence to gain economic benefits, in what is\nknown as \u2018family corruption\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018The investigation stated that Ma used his position to benefit others\nand allowed his family to use his political influence to obtain\nfinancial gains.\u2019<\/p>\n
Following his expulsion from the party, Ma is expected to be\nprocessed through the legal system. In China, expulsion from the CPC is\ngenerally a preliminary step before a corruption case is brought to\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Who is Ma Xingrui?<\/p>\n
Ma Xingrui is no ordinary bureaucrat. Before entering politics\nfull-time, he was known as a scientist with a career in China\u2019s space\nindustry.<\/p>\n
He led several national space programmes and built his career at the\nChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation before being\nentrusted with various senior government positions.<\/p>\n
His political career took off when he became Mayor of Shenzhen, then\nGovernor of Guangdong Province, before finally serving as Communist\nParty Secretary in Xinjiang, one of China\u2019s most politically sensitive\nregions.<\/p>\n
Reuters noted that a number of officials promoted during Ma\u2019s tenure\nleading both Shenzhen and Xinjiang are now also under investigation over\nalleged corruption.<\/p>\n
\u2018Ma\u2019s case not only targets an individual, but also opens\ninvestigations into the network of officials that flourished under his\nleadership.\u2019<\/p>\n
Ma\u2019s downfall also comes as China\u2019s defence sector and space industry\nface intense scrutiny. In recent years, several officials from the\ndefence, aerospace and even nuclear industries have been implicated in\nsimilar cases.<\/p>\n
Part of Xi Jinping\u2019s anti-corruption campaign<\/p>\n
Ma\u2019s expulsion is the latest episode in President Xi Jinping\u2019s\nanti-corruption campaign, which has been running for more than a\ndecade.<\/p>\n
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has repeatedly asserted that\neradicating corruption is a prerequisite for maintaining the Communist\nParty\u2019s legitimacy. Thousands of officials across all levels of\ngovernment have been punished through the campaign.<\/p>\n
In the past two years, investigations have also reached several of\nthe most senior military figures, including former Vice Chairman of the\nCentral Military Commission He Weidong and General Zhang Youxia.<\/p>\n
However, Xi\u2019s anti-corruption campaign has also frequently been a\nsubject of debate among observers.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Chinese government says the campaign aims to clean up the\nbureaucracy, while some analysts view the anti-corruption drive as going\nhand in hand with efforts to strengthen party discipline and consolidate\npolitical power.\u2019<\/p>\n
Regardless of the debate, Ma Xingrui\u2019s case shows that investigations\ncontinue to target officials at the highest levels of the Communist\nParty, including figures previously considered to be within the elite\ncircle of power.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/corruption-scandal-rocks-chinas-elite-circle-as-former-xinjiang-party-chief-sacked-1784033643", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }