Xi Jinping moves to bury a scandal that reaches his inner circle

 

Xi Jinping moves to bury a scandal that reaches his inner circle

This week's China Up Close looks at the purge of Ma Xingrui, a former member of the powerful Politburo who was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party last week. In April, Ma had been placed under investigation on suspicion of serious discipline and law violations. The three months it took for the investigation to result in expulsion were a rather quick turnaround for Chinese authorities. Ma was the chief of Shenzhen, known as a stronghold of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's family. The city is also home to major property developers, and authorities accuse Ma of being involved in illicit real estate transactions. With Shenzhen due to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, Xi likely moved quickly to end a scandal that lays bare the city's dark side. Ma was a close aide to Xi, and the question is whether any more property sector scandals involving high-ranking officials will come to light.