Former senior Chinese diplomat Cao Baijun latest to be caught up in anti-graft campaign
Ex-director of International Department bureaus placed under investigation over ‘serious violations of party discipline’
A former senior Chinese diplomat who used to oversee Western Europe and Africa relations has been placed under investigation five years after he left his post, the Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog said on Sunday.
Cao Baijun, 63 – who was director of two bureaus under the party’s International Department that handles ties with foreign political parties – is accused of “serious violations of party discipline”, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement, using the common euphemism for corruption.
From 2008 to 2012, Cao was director of the department’s bureau in charge of liaison work with political parties from Sub-Saharan Africa, news outlet Caixin reported. He went on to work as a consultant for a metals company based in Guangdong.
His last public appearance was on August 8 at a business event, according to Beijing Youth Daily.
Zhang, 56, was the most senior of the four assistant foreign ministers and was in charge of the ministry’s protocol department.
