SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Saturday named rising political star Chen Miner as Communist Party boss in southwestern Chongqing, cementing his reputation as a favorite of President Xi Jinping ahead of a leadership reshuffle at a key party congress in the autumn.

Chen Miner in Beijing, China March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

The elevation of Chen, a trusted confidant of Xi, is a sign the president is flexing his political muscles as he maneuvers to line up a new Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political power in China.

Chen previously worked under Xi in Zhejiang province, where Xi was then provincial party leader, and has since ridden the coat-tails of his former boss, climbing rapidly through the party ranks. Foreign diplomats who have met Chen say he talks openly about his closeness to Xi.

Chen, who moves to Chongqing from the poor southwestern province of Guizhou, takes over from Sun Zhengcai, the official news agency Xinhua said, without saying where Sun would go next or including wording to suggest he would get another position.

Chongqing television’s main evening news showed Chen giving a speech to senior city officials, telling them he would not let down the party’s trust in giving him such an important job. His predecessor Sun did not appear to be present in the meeting.

Chongqing is perhaps best known for its association with its disgraced former party boss Bo Xilai, once himself a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal.

Chen said officials must “resolutely eliminate the malign influence” of the Bo case, Chongqing television reported.

Sun had been seen as another potential candidate for elevation at the autumn congress, but his star has waned.

Sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say Sun has been out of favor after the party’s anti-corruption watchdog this year criticized Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo’s influence.

Chen was made Guizhou deputy party secretary in 2012, but was promoted to governor less than a year later and within roughly a month of Xi becoming president, before moving up again to his role as Guizhou party boss in 2015.

Sources with ties to the leadership had said Chen could jump straight into the Standing Committee with Xi’s support potentially easing out contenders from rival factions, though Chen is still considered a dark horse candidate.

The switch from Guizhou to the more high-profile Chongqing role signals that Chen is virtually assured of a Politburo spot. But the change so close to the 19th Party Congress may mean he has to wait longer for further promotion, as it would be unusual to move the holder of such an important post within months.

For decades, Guizhou was one of China’s most backward provinces, but in recent years the central government has poured in billions of yuan, with a focus on poverty alleviation and big data.

Xinhua said Guizhou governor Sun Zhigang, who is not related to Sun Zhengcai, had taken over as the province’s party chief.</s>BEIJING (REUTERS) - China on Saturday (July 15) named rising political star Chen Min'er as Communist Party boss in south-western Chongqing municipality, cementing his reputation as a favourite of President Xi Jinping ahead of a leadership reshuffle at a key party congress in the autumn.

The elevation of Chen, a trusted confidant of Xi, is a sign the President is flexing his political muscles as he manoeuvres to line up a new Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political power in China.

Chen previously worked under Xi in Zhejiang province, where Xi was then provincial party leader, and has since ridden the coat-tails of his former boss, climbing rapidly through the party ranks.

Foreign diplomats who have met Chen say he talks openly about his closeness to Xi. Chen, who moves to Chongqing from the poor south-western province of Guizhou, takes over from Sun Zhengcai, China's official news agency Xinhua said in a brief report, without saying where Sun would go next.

Chongqing is known for its association with its disgraced former party boss Bo Xilai, once himself a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal.

Chen was made Guizhou deputy party secretary in 2012, but was promoted to governor less than a year later and within roughly a month of Xi becoming President, before moving up again to his current role as Guizhou party boss in 2015.

Sources with ties to the leadership had said Chen could jump straight into the Standing Committee with Xi’s support potentially easing out contenders from rival factions, though Chen is still considered a dark horse candidate.

The switch from Guizhou to the more high-profile Chongqing role signals that Chen is virtually assured of a Politburo spot.

But the change so close to the 19th Party Congress may mean he has to wait longer for further promotion, as it would be unusual to move the holder of such an important post within months.

Sun had been seen as another potential candidate for elevation, but his star has waned. Sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say Sun has been out of favour after the party’s anti-corruption watchdog this year criticised Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo’s influence.

For decades, Guizhou was one of China’s most backward provinces, but in recent years the central government has poured in billions of yuan, with a focus on poverty alleviation and big data.

Xinhua said Guizhou governor Sun Zhigang, who is not related to Sun Zhengcai, had taken over as the province’s party chief.</s>SHANGHAI/BEIJING
• China has named rising political star Chen Min'er as Communist Party boss in south-western Chongqing, cementing his reputation as a favourite of President Xi Jinping ahead of a leadership reshuffle at a key party congress in the autumn.

The elevation of Mr Chen, a trusted confidant of Mr Xi, is a sign that the President is flexing his political muscles as he manoeuvres to line up a new Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political power in China.

Mr Chen previously worked under Mr Xi in Zhejiang province, where Mr Xi was then provincial party leader, and has since ridden the coat-tails of his former boss, climbing rapidly through the party ranks. Foreign diplomats who have met Mr Chen say he talks openly about his closeness to Mr Xi.

Mr Chen, who moves to Chongqing from the south-western province of Guizhou, takes over from Mr Sun Zhengcai, the official news agency Xinhua said, without saying where Mr Sun would go next.

Chongqing television's main evening news showed Mr Chen giving a speech to senior city officials, telling them he would not let down the party's trust in giving him such an important job. Mr Sun did not appear to be present at the meeting.

Chongqing is perhaps best known for its association with its disgraced former party boss Bo Xilai, once himself a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal. Mr Chen said officials must "resolutely eliminate the malign influence" of the Bo case, Chongqing television reported.

Mr Chen was made Guizhou deputy party secretary in 2012, but was promoted to governor less than a year later and within roughly a month of Mr Xi becoming president, before moving up again to his current role as Guizhou party boss in 2015.

The switch from Guizhou to the more high-profile Chongqing role signals that Mr Chen is virtually assured of a Politburo spot. But the change so close to the 19th Party Congress may mean he has to wait longer for further promotion, as it would be unusual to move the holder of such an important post within months.

Mr Sun had been seen as another potential candidate for elevation, but sources with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say he has been out of favour after the party's anti-corruption watchdog this year criticised the Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo's influence.

For decades, Guizhou was one of China's most backward provinces, but in recent years the central government has poured in billions of yuan, with a focus on poverty alleviation and big data.

Xinhua said Guizhou Governor Sun Zhigang - no relation to Mr Sun Zhengcai - had taken over as the province's party chief.</s>Beijing: A senior Chinese official who was considered a contender for top leadership has been put under investigation, three officials with ties to the leadership said, ahead of a Communist Party congress in the autumn where Xi Jinping will cement his grip on power.

Sun Zhengcai had been party chief of the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing, until an abrupt announcement on Saturday morning that he no longer had the position and had been replaced by a rising political star close to President Xi.

The announcement, carried by state news agency Xinhua, did not say Sun either had a new position or use wording to suggest he was waiting for a further appointment.

An official who has been briefed on the matter said Sun is suspected of “serious discipline violations”, a term that can encompass everything from taking bribes to not toeing the party line. The official added that it was a “conversation investigation”, meaning it’s not yet at the stage of a formal probe.

A second official with ties to the leadership told Reuters that Sun is undergoing investigation for suspected “violation of political discipline”. The official declined to elaborate.

“But he is still a comrade. He is still a Politburo member,” the official said, referring to the party’s 25-member decision-making body.

Officials are stripped of their title “comrade” once a formal legal case is filed against them and they are expelled from the party. Officials are sometimes put under investigation but not formally charged. However once a party announcement about a probe is publicly announced they are almost always punished.

The Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday. Calls to the Chongqing government information office also went unanswered.

It was not possible to reach Sun directly for comment, and unclear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer. It is not clear if any limits have been put on Sun’s movements.

Hong Kong and Taiwan media as well as the Wall Street Journal have also reported Sun is being investigated.

Sun did not appear on Chongqing television’s Saturday evening broadcast when new party boss, Chen Miner, was introduced to city officials by Zhao Leji, head of the powerful organisation department which oversees personnel decisions.

Zhao made the announcement about the probe at the Chongqing meeting, the first official added.

When Beijing’s new party boss Cai Qi was unveiled in May, Zhao not only introduced Cai but Cai’s predecessor Guo Jinlong was also present at the meeting and gave a speech, according to the Beijing city government’s account of the event.

A third official with ties to the leadership emphasised how unusual it was that Sun was not present or mentioned at all in the meeting where Chen was presented as new Chongqing leader.

The official said the Chongqing meeting was told that Sun had committed “political mistakes”.

The three officials, who all spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to foreign media, said Sun was currently in Beijing.

Chongqing is perhaps best known for its association with its disgraced former party boss Bo Xilai, once himself a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal.

Sun had been seen as a potential candidate for elevation at the autumn congress and as a possible future premier, but his star has waned.

Officials with ties to the leadership and foreign diplomats say Sun has been out of favour after the party’s anti-corruption watchdog in February criticised Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo’s influence.

At that meeting, Sun said he accepted the watchdog’s assessment “without question”, according to a party statement at the time.

Chongqing is one of China’s most important cities. Global electronics brands including Hewlett-Packard, Foxconn, Acer and Asus all have operations in Chongqing, lured by tax breaks, cheap labour and land, plus a developed supply chain and logistics. The region makes a third of the world’s laptops.

Diplomatic officials say Sun had been scheduled to go on a trip to Europe recently but it had been cancelled. It is not immediately clear which countries he was due to have visited.

However, another candidate for elevation, Guangdong province party boss Hu Chunhua, visited Britain, Ireland and Israel last month. Such trips are often used by senior officials to raise their international profiles ahead of promotions.

Sun’s last public appearance as mentioned by state media was on 12 July, when he attended a Chongqing party meeting about deepening reforms. Reuters</s>BEIJING—China’s Communist Party placed under investigation a senior official once seen as a possible successor to President Xi Jinping, people familiar with the matter said, in a change that allowed the Chinese leader to promote an ally.

A hastily arranged meeting of party officials on Saturday in the inland city of Chongqing announced that Sun Zhengcai, the city’s top official, was being replaced and was being investigated, a person familiar with the matter said. A second person corroborated the investigation.

No further details of the investigation were given, the people said.

State media announced Sun’s removal Saturday but didn’t provide a reason or mention an investigation. Replacing Sun as Chongqing’s party secretary is Chen Min’er, who was party chief for the southern province of Guizhou, state media reported.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com .

Details Emerge in Suicide of GOP Activist Who Sought Hillary Clinton Emails</s>SHANGHAI: China has appointed Chen Miner, a rising political star, as the Communist Party boss in southwestern Chongqing, cementing his credentials as a contender to join the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee at the 19th party congress this autumn.

The elevation of Chen, a trusted confidant of President Xi Jinping, is a sign of Xi flexing his political muscle ahead of the leadership shuffle later this year.

Chen previously worked under Xi in Zhejiang province, where Xi was then provincial party leader, and has since then ridden on the coat-tails of his former boss, being elevated rapidly through the Party ranks.

In 2012, Chen was made Guizhou deputy party secretary. Less than a year later, and within roughly a month of Xi becoming president, he was promoted to governor, before moving up once more to his current role as Guizhou party boss in 2015.

Sources with ties to the leadership had said Chen could jump straight into the leading Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) with President Xi's support behind him, potentially easing out contenders from rival factions.

The PSC is ostensibly chosen by a vote, but results are typically preordained through an opaque process of horsetrading between the president, outgoing standing committee members, and party elders who remain influential.

Chen is currently only a member of the 205-member Central Committee, and an elevation to the PSC, which has ultimate power over the world's second-largest economy, would involve a two-step promotion, missing out the 25-member Politburo.

Chen will take over the Chongqing role from Sun Zhengcai, Xinhua said. Sun was seen as another potential candidate to be elevated to the PSC.</s>BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - Mr Sun Zhengcai, the former Communist Party chief of the Chinese city of Chongqing, is under investigation by authorities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday (July 15), citing people it did not identify.

Mr 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 earlier on Saturday that he was replaced by a provincial party chief - Mr Chen Min'er - who is an associate of President Xi Jinping.

A party meeting in Chongqing to announce Mr Sun's departure was told he was under investigation, the Journal reported, adding that no details of the probe were given.

Chongqing is a fast-growing mega-city and one of four centrally administered municipalities alongside Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.

If confirmed, it would be the first probe of a sitting Politburo member, a key leadership body in the Communist Party, since the downfall in 2012 of another one-time Chongqing chief Bo Xilai, who was later sentenced to life in prison for corruption and abuse of power.

It comes before a party congress where many of the 25 members of the Politburo are expected to be replaced as Mr Xi heads into the second half of his scheduled term in power.

Five of seven members of the supreme Politburo Standing Committee - all except Mr Xi and Premier Li Keqiang - are also scheduled to retire.

Mr Xi has for more than four years embarked on a sweeping crackdown on graft at all levels of the party. He has warned corruption is one of the biggest threats to the party's future. The campaign has also allowed him to amass greater power.

Mr Sun had previously drawn praise from the president. During a visit to Chongqing in January 2016, Mr Xi stood side by side with Mr Sun and admired various projects under his purview, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

While inspecting port and railway projects to support Mr Xi's initiative for a new Silk Road trading route to Europe, the president said: "This place is very promising."

Still, the party's top anti-graft agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, issued a statement in February after an inspection trip to Chongqing saying the municipality fell short of "clearing toxic residue" from Bo's era. And in June, state media said Chongqing's top police officer He Ting had been relieved of his post.

The party's Organisation Department chief Zhao Leji presided over Saturday's appointment meeting and transition ceremony, where Mr Sun was absent, according to the Chongqing Daily.

"Sun's absence from the transition ceremony was highly unusual and is a good indication that he's in trouble," said adjunct political professor Willy Lam at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Mr Sun's removal could help Mr Xi solidify his grip on power ahead of the party reshuffle, Dr Lam said. "It's another way to demonstrate he's in full control of the succession game."

In June 2015, Zhou Yongkang, a retired member of the Politburo's supreme Standing Committee, was sentenced to life in prison, the highest-ranking official convicted for graft in party history.

Zhou, until 2012, oversaw China's vast security apparatus, including police, prosecutors and the courts. He held sway over a network of proteges and former aides, serving on the Standing Committee with Mr Xi before he retired and the latter was elevated to general secretary in 2012.

Mr Sun, together with Guangdong party boss Hu Chunhua, had been regarded as potentially in line to be elevated to the Standing Committee.

Instead, Mr Chen, 56, party chief of the southwestern province of Guizhou, was announced on Saturday as the new chief of Chongqing.

Prior to his Chongqing appointment, Mr Sun was party chief of the northeastern province of Jilin between 2009 and 2012, and was China's Agricultural Minister between 2006 and 2009 in the administration of Premier Wen Jiabao.

Mr Chen has crossed paths with Mr Xi during his career and the two have established links. He advanced to governor of Guizhou - his first provincial-level promotion - in December 2012, shortly after Mr Xi became overall party chief.

In July 2015, Mr Chen was promoted to provincial party chief, only the third regional party boss born in the 1960s.

As propaganda chief previously in Zhejiang, which Mr Xi led from 2002 to 2007, Mr Chen shepherded Mr Xi's regular column in the provincial newspaper. More than 200 of those columns were compiled into a book touted as the origins of Mr Xi's political philosophies.

Chongqing, a sprawling municipality of almost 30 million people, is located more than 1,400km from the coast and served as China's capital during the Japanese invasion. Chongqing has prospered as the country's economic boom rolled inland, reinventing itself as a regional hub for manufacturing, logistics, financial services and foreign investment.</s>SHANGHAI, July 15 (Reuters) - China has appointed Chen Miner, a rising political star, as the Communist Party boss in the southwestern city of Chongqing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

Chen, along with a number of other swift-rising officials, is considered a prime contender to be promoted into the Standing Committee at China's five-yearly party congress this autumn.

Chen, a trusted confidant of President Xi Jinping, will take over the Chongqing role from Sun Zhengcai, Xinhua said. (Reporting by Adam Jourdan and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)</s>BEIJING
• A senior Chinese official who was considered a contender for top leadership has been put under investigation, three sources with ties to the leadership said, ahead of a Communist Party congress in the autumn where China's President Xi Jinping will cement his grip on power.

Mr Sun Zhengcai, 53, had been party chief of the south-western megalopolis of Chongqing, until an abrupt announcement on Saturday morning that he no longer had the position and had been replaced by a rising political star close to Mr Xi.

The announcement, carried by state news agency Xinhua, did not say Mr Sun had a new position or use wording to suggest he was waiting for a further appointment.

A source who has been briefed on the matter said Mr Sun is suspected of "serious discipline violations", a term that can encompass everything from taking bribes to not toeing the party line. The source added that it was a "conversation investigation", meaning it was not yet at the stage of a formal probe.

A second source with ties to the leadership told Reuters that Mr Sun is undergoing investigation for suspected "violation of political discipline". The source declined to elaborate. "But he is still a comrade. He is still a Politburo member," the source said, referring to the party's 25-member decision-making body.

Officials are stripped of their title "comrade" once a formal legal case is filed against them and they are expelled from the party. Officials are sometimes put under investigation but not formally charged. However, once a party announcement about a probe is publicly announced, they are almost always punished.

The Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, did not respond to a request for comment yesterday. Calls to the Chongqing government information office also went unanswered.

It was not possible to reach Mr Sun and not clear if any limits have been put on his movements.

Hong Kong and Taiwanese media as well as The Wall Street Journal have also reported that Mr Sun is being investigated. If confirmed, it would be the first probe of a sitting Politburo member, a key leadership body in the Communist Party, since the downfall in 2012 of another one-time Chongqing chief, Bo Xilai, later sentenced to life in prison for corruption and abuse of power.

Mr Sun did not appear on Chongqing television's Saturday evening broadcast when new party boss, Mr Chen Min'er, 56, was introduced to city officials by Mr Zhao Leji, head of the powerful organisation department which oversees personnel. Mr Zhao announced the probe at the Chongqing meeting, the first source added.

When Beijing's new party boss Cai Qi was unveiled in May, not only did Mr Zhao introduce Mr Cai but his predecessor Guo Jinlong was also present at the meeting and gave a speech, according to the Beijing city government's account of the event.

A third source with ties to the leadership emphasised how unusual it was that Mr Sun was not present or mentioned in the meeting where Mr Chen was presented as the new Chongqing leader. The source said the Chongqing meeting was told that Mr Sun had committed "political mistakes".

The three sources, who all spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to foreign media, said Mr Sun was currently in Beijing.

Chongqing is perhaps best known for its association with its disgraced former party boss Bo, once a contender for top leadership before being jailed for life in 2013 in a dramatic corruption scandal.

Mr Sun was once seen as a potential premier, but sources say he has been out of favour after the party's anti-corruption watchdog in February criticised the Chongqing authorities for not doing enough to root out Bo's influence.

Diplomatic sources say Mr Sun had been scheduled to go on a trip to Europe recently but it had been cancelled. However, another candidate for party elevation, Guangdong party boss Hu Chunhua, visited Britain, Ireland and Israel last month. Such trips are often used by senior officials to raise their international profiles ahead of promotions.

Mr Sun's last public appearance as cited by state media was on July 12, at a Chongqing party meeting.</s>Sun Zhengcai, once seen at the forefront of China’s next-generation leadership, was removed as Chongqing party chief and is under investigation.
Chen Min'er replaces Sun Zhengcai as Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing; Sun Zhigang becomes party chief of Guizhou.