Demoted official under investigation

Nine years after his demotion, a former official in Jiangxi province is once again under investigation for serious violations of the law, according to Jiangxi's provincial disciplinary inspection and supervisory agencies.

Zhao Zhiyong, 68, a native of Hebei province, began working in 1970 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1973. He retired in June 2015.

Zhao worked for many years at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, becoming the president of ICBC's Jiangxi provincial branch in 2000.

He left the banking system in 2001 when he held the position of assistant to the governor of Jiangxi province. One year later, he became the province's vice-governor, serving in that position until June 2008. Later, he became a member of the Standing Committee of CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and Secretary-General of CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee.

In June 2014, he was removed from his position in the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee due to serious violations of Party disciplines.

A statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision in July 2014 revealed that Zhao was found using his positions to seek personal gain. The CCDI and NCS decided to expel Zhao from the Party, revoke his treatment as a deputy provincial-level official, demote him to a clerk and confiscate his ill-gotten gains.

The recent investigation against him is due to suspected violations of laws.

Quite a few high-ranking officials have been investigated repeatedly — for example, Zhou Huachen, who became vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress in 2011 and retired in 2016. Over a year into his retirement, it was determined Zhou had committed serious violations of Party disciplines, resulting in his retirement benefits being reduced. In 2018, Zhou was again investigated on suspicion of serious violations of discipline and law.

China Discipline Inspection and Supervision News, a publication under the supervision of the CCDI and NCS, once pointed out in an article that some officials face "repeated investigations" for various reasons.

Some cases involve the discovery of violations of disciplines and laws that were previously overlooked, while others result from individuals failing to learn from past lessons, persisting on the path of misconduct and engaging in illegal activities.

The article emphasized that instances where Party members and officials face "repeated investigations" fully illustrate that a single disciplinary action does not absolve individuals of all their wrongdoings and responsibilities. As long as new or overlooked clues to problems are discovered, investigations and accountability will continue.

The cases of repeated investigation serve as a warning to all Party members and officials not to harbor illusions or take chances. Any engagement in corrupt behavior will eventually face disciplinary and legal repercussions, it said.