The first big ‘Tiger’ from Beijing has been officially ousted from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Lü Xiwen, former Deputy Party Secretary of Beijing was ousted from the Party on Jan. 5, announced China’s disciplinary agency for anti-corruption (CCDI).
Lü is just the third female provincial official to be removed in Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign. She was also the only female alternate member of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party, of which 12 candidates have already been taken down.
The CCDI first announced Lü was being investigated on Nov. 11, 2015 for “serious violations of Party discipline,” a charge that has become synonymous with corruption in recent years. She is also accused of promoting and appointing personnel against the rules, and using her position for personal benefit.
After the 18th Party Congress Nov. 8-14, the Party Politburo decided to confiscate her property, which she is charged with having gained in violation of the rules.
In CCDI’s announcement of her guilt she is accused of one of the most severe violations of the Party’s bottom line, which is “wangyi zhongyang,” meaning discussing Party policy in an open manner.
Xi Jinping’s newly published book, “Xi Jinping’s Treatise on Impartial and Strict Party Discipline and Standards,” records his speech at a conference of China Central Discipline Inspection Commission (CCDI) in which he mentions the problem of “wangyi zhongyang.” Xi describes it as criticizing some personnel in the Party, being extremely arrogant, resisting plans from the Central Committee of the Party in an indirect way, “even talking drivel about the Party’s theory, guiding principle and policy, and spreading malicious rumors about Central leaders,” and also suppressing people who disagree, and removing whoever gets in the way.
