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Chinese President Hu Jintao came into office promising to promote a "harmonious society." As part of this vision, he wants to recentralize the government, reining in corrupt local officials. He started slowly, following the "speak softly and carry a big stick" adage and using the media as an outlet to gently threaten Chinese officials who were lining their pockets through corruption. Then, Beijing announced that Chen Liangyu, Shanghai's Communist Party secretary and a Politburo member, was dismissed Sept. 24. Immediately after the announcement, Beijing said Sept. 26 it had dispatched inspectors to investigate corruption throughout the country. These teams were operating before Chen's ouster, but since the Shanghai official was dismissed, the announcement and renewed campaign will carry more weight.
With Chen's dismissal, Hu is making a statement to other officials throughout the country: If he can take down one of former President Jiang Zemin's proteges in one of China's more prosperous cities, no one is safe. Hu is still carrying a big stick, but he is no longer speaking softly.
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