Ag Officials Denounce Former Ag Minister

China Ministry of Agriculture officials pledged their disdain for the corruption and moral turpitude of disgraced Chongqing Mayor Sun Zhengcai at a meeting reported on the Ministry's web site.

The denunciations were made at a meeting for communist party leaders held on September 30 where Ministry of Agriculture officials pledged support for the central party leadership's decision to remove Sun Zhengcai from his position and expel him from the Party.

Sun spent much of his career in agricultural posts, so it is important for farming officials to pledge their assent for his censure. Sun Zhengcai has rural roots in Shandong, was trained as an agriculture researcher, was leader of Shunyi county on Beijing's outskirts during the 1990s, and he served as Minister of Agriculture under Premier Wen Jiabao during 2006-09. He was placed in charge of Chongqing after the removal of Bo Xilai and was seen as a rising star in the communist party before his removal in July.

Officials attending last week's meeting heard that the Ministry of Agriculture fully supports and has a deep understanding of the central Party leadership's decision to remove Sun from office and expel him from the Party. The Ministry pledged allegiance to "core" leader Xi Jinping's correct leadership and thought.

Sun Zhengcai was denounced at the meeting in the strongest of terms. He "shook the ideals and faith" of the party, "abandoned the party's purpose," "trampled on the party's political discipline and political rules," engaged in bribery, influence-peddling, bureaucracy and inaction. Sun's behavior "deviated from the party spirit," failed to "live up to the trust of the people," "caused major harm to the party," and had an extremely bad social impact.

Communist party cadres were warned to take a clear political stance, maintain their political direction, devote themselves to Comrade Xi Jinping's core party leadership, and respect the party's political discipline and rules. They should maintain their faith in Marxism, hold fast to the ideals of socialism and communism, serve the people with their whole heart and will, and constantly tighten their world view.