China’s political elites get a message on loyalty ahead of party congress

Central Committee endorses ‘lenient’ punishment of senior official for wrongdoings that took place before Xi Jinping took power

Li Jia – accused of ‘vote rigging in party elections’ and breaking the rules by asking about efforts to fight corruption – has been demoted

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Li Jia, former head of Shanxi’s political advisory body, lost his party titles and was demoted from ministerial to vice-ministerial level in the government system. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00pm, 13 Oct 2022Updated: 10:46pm, 13 Oct 2022

Hundreds of China’s political elites have wrapped up their final preparations ahead of a key gathering of the ruling Communist Party. They were also sent a message on political loyalty as they endorsed the “lenient” punishment of a senior official for wrongdoings that took place before Xi Jinping took power.

At a conclave in Beijing that ended on Wednesday, the Central Committee confirmed the punishment of four officials for their wrongdoings. But it was the case of Li Jia, former head of the Shanxi provincial political advisory body, that stood out.

The accusations against Li date back to before 2012, the year Xi took the party’s helm, though the exact timing and details remain unclear. Li’s most senior roles pre-2012 were on the party’s standing committee in Inner Mongolia – first as the region’s personnel chief from 2008, then as its security chief from 2011.

Li has been accused of “vote rigging in party elections” and violating party rules by inquiring about its efforts to fight corruption, according to an August statement from the party’s anti-graft body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

It also accused Li of “lacking party principles” and accepting valuable gifts from business owners, and he was placed under investigation for corruption.