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, 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> 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> 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> The former Communist Party boss of the Chinese city of Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

BEIJING: The former Communist Party boss of the Chinese city of Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

Sun had been party chief of the southwestern megalopolis until an abrupt announcement earlier in July that he no longer had the position and had been replaced by a rising political star close to President Xi Jinping. </s> (UPDATED) The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Sun Zhengcai, who until last week was party chief in the major city of Chongqing, for a 'serious discipline violation'

BEIJING, China (UPDATED) – The Chinese Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog has launched an investigation into a Politburo member who was once seen as a contender for a top leadership post, state media reported Monday. July 24

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Sun Zhengcai, who until a week ago was party chief in the major city of Chongqing, for "serious discipline violation", Xinhua news agency said.

Sun is the first serving member of the 25-person Politburo to be placed under investigation since Bo Xilai, who was jailed for life in 2013 in the wake of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.

Xinhua's brief report did not say whether Sun would remain a member of the Politburo. His replacement as party chief in Chongqing was announced on July 15.

The shake-up in Chongqing comes as the Communist Party prepares for a congress later this year that will likely cement Xi's position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation.

At the gathering, Xi is widely expected to secure a second five-year term.

But all eyes will be on who will depart or ascend to the Politburo's standing committee, the elite group of seven politicians who run the world's second largest economy.

Sun, who was replaced in the city by former Xi aide Chen Miner, had once been tipped for promotion to the exclusive body.

Bo Xilai was also once the party chief in Chongqing, the country's fourth largest city and an industrial metropolis in the southwest of the country.

Bo was rumoured to be part of a network plotting to stop Xi from assuming control of the party in 2012, and Sun was tasked with erasing Bo's influence on the city.

But in February party discipline inspectors publicly rebuked Sun for failing to get the job done, leaving his future in question.

Shortly after replacing Sun, Chen was quoted as saying by a local daily that the city must "resolutely remove the bad impact" of Bo's case.

Chen first worked with Xi in 2002, when the latter became party chief of the eastern province of Zhejiang.

In late 2012 the former propaganda chief's career kicked into overdrive following Xi's ascension to the head of the Communist Party.

Chen became governor of the southwestern province of Guizhou in 2013, adding the title of party secretary in 2015. – Rappler.com </s> BEIJING
• The Chinese Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog has launched a probe into a Politburo member who was once seen as a contender for a top leadership post, state media confirmed yesterday.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Mr Sun Zhengcai, who until a week ago was party chief in the major city of Chongqing, for "serious discipline violation", Xinhua news agency said, an euphemism for graft.

Mr Sun, 53, is the first serving member of the 25-person Politburo to be placed under investigation since Bo Xilai, who was jailed for life in 2013 in the wake of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive.

Xinhua's brief report did not say whether Mr Sun would remain a Politburo member. His replacement as party chief in Chongqing was announced on July 15.

The shake-up in Chongqing comes as the Communist Party prepares for a congress later this year that is expected to cement Mr Xi's position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation. Mr Sun, who was replaced in the city by Mr Xi's former aide Chen Min'er, had once been tipped as a contender for promotion to the Politburo's elite seven-member standing committee, the nation's top political body.

Bo was also once the party chief in Chongqing, the country's fourth- largest city and an industrial metropolis in the south-west of China. He was rumoured to be part of a network plotting to stop Mr Xi from assuming control of the party in 2012, and Mr Sun was tasked with erasing Bo's influence on the city.

But in February, party discipline inspectors publicly rebuked Mr Sun for failing to get the job done, leaving his future in question. Shortly after replacing Mr Sun, Mr Chen was quoted as saying by a local daily that the city must "resolutely remove the bad impact" of Bo's case.

Mr Sun's downfall has raised Mr Chen's profile. Mr Chen first worked with Mr Xi in 2002, when the latter became party chief of the eastern province of Zhejiang.

In late 2012, the former propaganda chief's career kicked into overdrive following Mr Xi's ascension to the head of the Communist Party. Mr Chen became governor of the south-western province of Guizhou in 2013, adding the title of party secretary in 2015.

Mr Sun's sudden fall from grace was taken as a warning that Mr Xi will play succession politics by his own ruthless rules. "Sun Zhengcai was a sacrificial object to send a message across the party," said Mr Wu Qiang, a current affairs writer and former political science lecturer at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

"Xi Jinping has signalled that he doesn't feel bound by the order of promotion set by the previous generation of leaders," he added. </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.
Chen Min'er replaces Sun Zhengcai as Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing; Sun Zhigang becomes party chief of Guizhou.