CHINA PRIME TARGET: Zhou Yongkang was head of domestic security and a member of the Communist Party Standing Politburo Committee, making him one of the most powerful people in China, until he stepped down in 2012. REUTERS/STRINGER Authorities have begun investigating a crash in 2000 that killed the first wife of Zhou Yongkang, the prime target in China’s biggest corruption scandal, Reuters source says. China turns up heat on ex-security chief with crash probe BY BENJAMIN KANG LIM, CHARLIE ZHU AND DAVID LAGUE SPECIAL REPORT 1 CHINA’S POWER STRUGGLE BEIJING/HONG KONG, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 ittle is known about the exact circum- stances in which Wang Shuhua was Lkilled. What has been reported, in the Chinese media, is that she died in a road ac- cident sometime in 2000, shortly after she was divorced from her husband. And that at least one vehicle with a military license plate may have been involved in the crash. Fourteen years later, investigators are looking into her death. Their sudden inter- est has nothing to do with Wang herself. It has to do with the identity of her ex-hus- band – once one of China’s most powerful men and now the prime target in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign. Investigators are probing the death of the first wife of Zhou Yongkang, China’s HUNTING TIGERS: President Xi Jinping has launched the biggest corruption crackdown since the retired security czar, a source with di- communists came to power in 1949, going after “tigers” or high-ranking officials as well as “flies”. rect knowledge of the investigation told REUTERS/JORGE SILVA Reuters. They are looking for evidence of foul play by Zhou in the crash, the source said. If Zhou Yongkang is only that Zhou is under investigation “on suspi- That investigators are going to such found to be guilty of violating cion of grave violations of discipline,” usu- lengths to discredit Zhou is one sign of party discipline, the worst ally a euphemism for graft. The watchdog’s the power struggle that has raged at the statement gave no details of the accusa- very top of the Communist Party since the punishment would be to expel tions against him but the 69-character an- reins were handed to Xi almost two years him from the party. nouncement is being closely scrutinised for ago. It isn’t over. Another indication is clues about the party’s intentions. that Xi is considering a proposal to let the Bo Zhiyue “The statement did not say he violated 205-member Central Committee deliber- An expert on Chinese elite politics at the the law,” says Bo Zhiyue, a senior research ate on whether to press criminal charges National University of Singapore fellow and expert on Chinese elite politics against Zhou, 71, rather than handle his at the National University of Singapore’s case exclusively among top leaders, said one with tentacles deep in politics and business, East Asian Institute. “If Zhou Yongkang is person with ties to the leadership. according to sources with ties to the leader- only found to be guilty of violating party This would be an unprecedented depar- ship. More broadly, as his anti-corruption discipline, the worst punishment would be ture from the party’s usually more opaque campaign begins to threaten powerful vest- to expel him from the party.” decision making on internal discipline mat- ed interests, Xi needs to weigh the danger That move may not be far off, Reuters ters. It suggests that Xi believes he needs of a backlash from some of China’s most has learned. It is likely that Zhou will be to ensure the backing of the wider leader- politically connected families, who want to ejected from the party, possibly as early ship before moving to decisively neutralise protect the vast wealth their proximity to as October when the Central Committee Zhou. power has afforded them. holds its fourth plenary session, according Xi and his allies are still uncertain how to sources with ties to the leadership. EJECTED FROM PARTY? far they can go in their bid to eliminate the But before it moves to actually prosecute threat from a rival who once controlled On July 29, the Central Commission for Zhou, the party wants to be sure it has an China’s pervasive security apparatus and Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party’s iron-clad case. Investigators are anxious to built a sprawling network of patronage internal watchdog, said in a terse statement avoid a repeat of the trial last year of Zhou’s SPECIAL REPORT 2 CHINA’S POWER STRUGGLE PARTY PLOTTING: Zhou plotted to get his own men in power in the run-up to the 2012 Communist Party Congress to choose a new leadership team, so he could pull strings behind the scenes, Reuters sources close to the leadership say. REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA ally, the former Chongqing party chief If a defiant Zhou chooses to speak out corruption, according to one person close Bo Xilai, who recanted his earlier confes- at a trial, it could also deeply embarrass the to the leadership. sions and protested his innocence during party. From his years running the security Officials at CCDI and the State Council a five-day trial, according to a person with services, Zhou has intimate knowledge of Information Office, which doubles as the leadership ties. Bo was jailed for life for the affairs of current and retired leaders and spokesman’s office for the cabinet, didn’t corruption. their families, according to two sources with respond to questions sent by fax to their of- The party is also considering the po- leadership ties. “Zhou knows too much,” fices. The Beijing Bureau of Public Security tential damage to its reputation if the al- one of the sources said. “It is a huge risk.” did not reply to phone calls seeking details legations against Zhou are aired in a public Zhou is believed to have been behind on the police report into the crash in which trial. It would be difficult for the leadership the bugging of senior Chinese leaders dur- Zhou’s first wife died. Relatives of Wang to explain how Zhou appeared to have ing the sensitive period in the run-up to Shuhua could not be reached. enjoyed wide support within the party as the party’s 18th Congress in 2012, which BONDS OF PATRONAGE he climbed through the ranks to eventu- saw the once-in-a-decade transfer of pow- ally become a member of the Politburo er, Reuters reported in May. Premier Li Subduing Zhou and dismantling his net- Standing Committee, the apex of political Keqiang and his predecessor, Wen Jiabao, work removes a potential threat to Xi and power in China, people familiar with the were the targets of the surveillance ordered consolidates his authority as he pursues an investigation told Reuters. by Zhou, who was searching for evidence of Text continues on page 5 SPECIAL REPORT 3 CHINA’S POWER STRUGGLE Closing in on Zhou’s circle Since former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang fell from grace, many of his aides and associates have been placed under investigation. He and his wife are currently under house arrest. Family Political allies Sichuan business Oil industry Tried and sentenced and aides associates associates LI CHUNCHENG Fmr. deputy party boss of Sichuan GUO YONGXIANG HUA BANGSONG Fmr. deputy governor of Sichuan Chairman, Wison Engineering Services JI WENLIN WEN QINGSHAN Vice governor of Hainan Fmr. chief accountant, CNPC LI DONGSHENG BO QILIANG Fmr. Vice Minister for Public Security Fmr. vice president, PetroChina LI CHONGXI RAN XINQUAN Fmr. assistant to Zhou Fmr. vice president, PetroChina PING XING WEI ZHIGANG Fmr. chairman, Chengdu Fmr. head of ops. PetroChina, Indonesia Hi-Tech Dev. LI GUANGYUAN WANG DAOFU Chairman, Sichuan Star Fmr. chief geologist, PetroChina Cable (SCS) SHEN LUDONG ZHANG BENQUAN Managing director, SCS Fmr head of ops. PetroChina, Iran YANG PING LI HUALIN Chief Financial Oicer, SCS Fmr. deputy gen. manager, CNPC HE YUYING WANG YONGCHUN Fmr. executive, SCS Fmr. vice president, CNPC HE YAN JIANG JIEMIN Chairwoman, GoldTel Group Fmr. CNPC/PetroChina chairman LIU HAN LI ZHIMING Fmr. Chinese mining magnate with Fmr head of CNPC, PetroChina, Canada suspected links to Zhou Bin ZHOU BIN SONG YIWU Eldest son Fmr deputy head of CNPC's overseas operations. JIA XIAOYE JIN JIANPING Wife ZHOU ZHOU Fmr. chairman, Tianjin Jinran Public Utilities YUANQING LINGYING Brother Brother’s wife Note: CNPC = China National Petroleum Corp. Ji worked as an aide for Zhou when the latter was land resources minister in the late 1990s. He then followed Zhou to Sichuan province and became one of his secretaries when Zhou was provincial party boss. Also former head of an advisory body to legislature in Sichuan. Died in September; the company did not provide a reason for her death. From a previous marriage. Source: Reuters. SPECIAL REPORT 4 CHINA’S POWER STRUGGLE TABLES TURNED: Blind civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng believes Zhou’s security apparatus persecuted him before he escaped to the United States in 2012 and says it is now “appropriate” the ex-security chief is under the gun. REUTERS/PICHI CHUANG ambitious agenda of restoring the party’s probe. And investigators have yet to pro- support to shatter a party taboo: It has prestige and accelerating China’s revival as duce any evidence of wrongdoing. been an unwritten rule that current and a great power. He is also unshackling him- For now, Xi has the upper hand in a retired members of the Politburo Standing self from the bonds of patronage and family power struggle that is roiling elite politics in Committee are immune from corrup- loyalties that have tied top Chinese lead- China.