China: Anti-corruption militants charged with bribery

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China's head of state Xi Jinping does not tolerate criticism of his policies

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China's ruling Communist Party is cracking down on potential "enemies" of the regime - even within its own ranks.

The former top party anti-corruption fighter in China's Ministry of State Security has himself been charged with taking a bribe.

The Procuratorate of Jilin Province in northeast China filed the lawsuit against Liu Yanping at the Intermediate People's Court in Changchun, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

The 67-year-old, former chief of the office of the discipline commission in the ministry, is accused of having received "large amounts" of bribes.

Former justice minister sentenced to death

According to state media, Liu Yanping belonged to the "clique" of former Deputy Police Minister Sun Lijun, who had been accused of "political manipulation", bribery and abuse of power.

The 53-year-old was sentenced to death last week alongside former Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua (67).

However, enforcement was suspended.

The group had previously been described as "disloyal" to head of state and party leader Xi Jinping.

The demonstrative strike against the clique in the powerful security apparatus comes less than three weeks before the beginning of the Chinese Communist Party Congress, which takes place every five years, on October 16 in Beijing.

Before the personnel changes at the party congress, observers see the actions of the prosecutors against the influential security politicians as a "clear signal" that Xi must be followed at all costs.

Xi has been the country's "Supreme Leader" since 2012 as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and as President of the People's Republic of China since 2013.

Since the beginning of his term of office, he has continued to expand the state's authoritarian measures.

muk/dpa