Chinese Leaders’ Face Bitter Revenge in Anti-Corruption Fight

The U.S.-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) recently revealed that at least five close relatives of top Chinese leaders, incumbent or former members, held secret offshore companies in tax havens that helped harbor huge amounts of the Communist elite’s wealth.

Among them are Chinese President Xi Jinping’s brother-in-law Deng Jiagui, former Prime Premier Wen Jiabao’s son Wen Yunsong and his son-in-law Liu Chunhang, former President Hu Jintao’s nephew Hu Yishi, former Prime Minister Li Peng’s daughter Li Xiaolin, and former Central Military Committee (CMC) Chairman Deng Xiaoping’s son Wu Chang.

The news is the latest bombshell to explode in the Chinese community. Ironically, Xi is just leading another round of his anti-corruption campaign, vowing that government officials, regardless of their ranks within the party, could be the target of potential investigation.

Wen Jiabao recently sent a letter declaring his innocence to Hong Kong media, saying, “I have never done and I will never do anything which constitutes an abuse of power.”

At the same time, the trial of prominent human rights scholar and activist Xu Zhiyong had just concluded in Beijing. Both Xu and his lawyer remained silent in protest of what they said were illegal procedures taken by the court during the trial.

What angered the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was Xu’s demand that all government officials should make public their personal assets.

“If government officials refuse to make public their personal assets, what is the point of the Communist Party fighting corruption?” Xu said.

Other activists who had made the same demand, such as Liu Ping from Jiangxi Province, Wei Zhongping, and Li Sihua have all been locked up in jail.
[link to www.theepochtimes.com]