China Says Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian Is Under Investigation

(Bloomberg) — China said its minister for agriculture and rural affairs is under investigation by the anti-graft agency for “serious violations” of the law, the latest high-level government official to be probed for alleged wrongdoing.

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Tang Renjian is “currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervisory investigation,” the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said in a statement Saturday. No further details were provided.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been pursuing a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which he had used to discipline the ruling Communist Party. In May alone, there were more than 30 announcements about new investigations by the anti-graft agency.

Tang was appointed agriculture minister in December 2020. One of his last public appearances took place three days ago when he delivered a speech at a conference in the city of Xianyang in Shaanxi province.

The 62-year-old Tang started his political career in the agriculture ministry and worked in different roles in the sector for about two decades before stints at provincial governments including Guangxi autonomous region and Gansu province.

Tang also helmed China’s food security campaign, an increasingly important priority for the country’s top leadership.

(Adds more details of Tang’s background in the fifth paragraph)

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