In President Xi Jinping’s years-long corruption purge, the Defense Ministry announced last week that it was investigating Zhang Yuxia, the nation’s top general, second only to Xi in military leadership. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockPhoto
China’s Emergency Management Minister Wang Xiangxi is being investigated for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law”, a common euphemism for corruption, an anti-graft watchdog said on Saturday (Jan 31, 2026) as a purge of senior officials continued.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection did not provide details in a statement by Communist Party Secretary Wang. It is relatively rare for a sitting minister to come under investigation.
In President Xi Jinping’s years-long corruption purge, the Defense Ministry announced last week that it was investigating Zhang Yuxia, the nation’s top general, second only to Xi in military leadership.
Mr Xi said this month that China must not lose the anti-corruption war, after conducting a record 65 investigations into high-level officials last year, but the scrutiny has extended to former leaders of universities and state-owned enterprises.
Mr Wang, 63, took over in July 2022 after serving as chairman of state-owned power generator National Energy Investment Corp.
He appeared on Tuesday, speaking at a general internal meeting, where activists will engage in self-review, according to an official release from the Ministry of Emergency Management.
According to state-owned media, the corruption watchdog announced an investigation into Sun Shacheng, the former party secretary of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China Daily.
Published – January 31, 2026 04:46 pm IST
