Influential former China news publisher caught in anti-graft net

AFP  |  Beijing 

The former publisher of a prominent Chinese newspaper known for its investigative reporting has been caught in China's widening anti-graft net.

The statement didn't offer any details of alleged wrongdoings.

Dai was publisher of from 2006 to 2017. During his stint, the won a reputation for investigations exposing vaccine scandals, ill-treatment of the disabled and other social woes that are rarely highlighted by other Chinese media.

Dai, a cadre, made headlines in 2013 after threatening to resign from his position at in support of another critical publication, The Southern Weekly, that was protesting government censorship.

Dai previously worked at the party-owned Guangming Daily for nearly two decades, reporting from the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang and China's industrial hub,

He joined a state-owned financing platform Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group, which invested in media and culture-related ventures after stepping down from in 2017.

The statement from the anti-graft watchdog didn't offer details on whether Dai was still employed as of the company or whether the investigation is linked to Dai's time at Beijing News or his other roles.

Dai is part of a growing group of cadres caught in Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign, which critics say has served as a way to remove the leader's political enemies.

Over one million officials have been punished so far during Xi's six-year tenure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, June 10 2019. 19:05 IST