On Aug 29, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China announced on its official website that former chairman and Party leader of Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation Deng Qilin was under investigation for seriously violating Party discipline. That was about three months after Deng retired.

Deng is not the first retired official to be investigated for corruption. Chen Baihuai, former deputy head of Hubei province's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was arrested almost a year after he was relieved of his post.

The fall of these officials shows that retired "tigers" (corrupt high-ranking officials), too, face legal punishment if they are involved in corruption; this is a new normal. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in November 2012, the Party and government have stuck to the principle that any corruption should be seriously dealt with. There is zero tolerance for corruption.

Deng is an example that retired "tigers" who have violated Party discipline cannot escape legal punishment. It shows the resolution of the Party and government to deal equally with officials and strictly crack down on corruption. This should be a wake-up call for Party members and officials, and deter them for violating Party discipline.

(China Daily 09/18/2015 page8)