Xiao Yaqing was the deputy secretary-general of the State Council of the Communist Party of China for a long time and worked beside Li Keqiang, so the outside world also suspected that his “accident” was related to the power struggle among the top leaders of the Communist Party of China.
Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao” revealed on July 29 that sources in Beijing pointed out that Xiao Yaqing was taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from his residence in Beijing on the 26th. Before being taken away, Xiao tried to cut his wrists to commit suicide but failed.
The news of Xiao’s attempted suicide has not been officially confirmed for the time being.
“Ming Pao” also said that Xiao’s “falling from the horse” should have something to do with his tenure at Aluminum Corporation of China.
Xiao Yaqing, who turns 63 this year, is a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the highest-ranking official who has been sacked in office in recent years.
Xiao Yaqing succeeded Guo Shengkun as General Manager of Aluminum Corporation of China and Chairman of Aluminum Corporation of China in April 2004. In 2009, Xiao Yaqing, who claimed to be successful in Chinalco’s acquisition of Rio Tinto’s equity, served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council of the Communist Party of China. Xiao Yaqing served as the director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council in 2016, and concurrently served as the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission in 2016; in 2019, he became the director of the State Administration for Market Regulation; in 2020, he was transferred to the minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the secretary of the party group.
On July 28 this year, Xiao Yaqing attracted the attention of the media because he was not elected as a representative of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.