Chinese Communist Party members 'plotted to oust President Xi Jinping'

A senior official in China's Communist Party has claimed that high-ranking members had plotted to topple President Xi Jinping. China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Liu Shiyu said a group of former political heavyweights who had been snared in Mr Xi's corruption crackdown had sought to 'seize state power'. Since he assumed power in 2012 Mr Xi has launched a war on corruption which has proved popular among ordinary Chinese. But critics say it lacks transparency and is a tool to sideline opponents. The Chinese president has previously denied that there was a 'power struggle', but Mr Liu's comments are in contrast to the party's carefully-crafted image of unity. Profile | Xi Jinping Among the officials named by Mr Liu was former Politburo Standing Committee member and security chief Zhou Yongkang. He also named Bo Xilai, the party chief of the south-western city of Chongqing who was brought down in 2013 in a high-profile scandal. Others included Sun Zhengcai, who was only recently expelled from the party amid corruption allegations, two military offiers and a former presidential aide. '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,' Mr Liu said. China's anti-corruption drive It is not the first time that a senior official has alleged friction in the Chinese leadership, however Mr Liu's comments appear to be the first to name officials. It is unclear if he was suggesting that the men acted together or separately. Wang Qishan, a senior official who spearheads Mr Xi's anti-corruption drive, had told state media last year of officials "seizing party and state power". https://chase.telegraph.co.uk/etc/telegraph-author/index.html#edit/f76733a1-b5a0-11e7-a01a-06401c187d50 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/20/19th-national-congress-communist-party-china- 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in pictures Mr Liu made his comments on the sidelines of the Communist Party's congress, the 19th to be held since it first met in 1921. Mr Xi is expected to strengthen his already considerable power at the political gathering.
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