Beijing Probes Ex–Zhejiang Party Chief as Anti-Graft Sweep Widens Ahead of Key Meetings

An insider alleges Yi Lianhong’s downfall stemmed from faction-building—a practice that can be career-ending under Xi Jinping’s rule.

A member of the People's Armed Police stands at the entrance of China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People during delegation meetings in Beijing on March 6, 2024. China's annual political gathering known, as the Two Sessions, will convene lawmakers to set the regime's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Yi Lianhong, a senior Chinese official and former provincial Chinese Communist Party (CCP) chief, is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and law,” according to an announcement released by China’s top anti-corruption agency on Feb. 10.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said Yi, a deputy director of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC)—China’s rubber-stamp legislature—is being reviewed and investigated.