The man behind the Chinese Central Government anti-graft probe that sparked a two-year decline for Macau’s gaming industry has retired.
Wang Qishan, who has headed the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) since 2012, is one of five members of China’s most powerful lawmaking body, the Politburo Standing Committee, to be left off the list of the Communist Party’s new Central Committee announced at the 19th Communist Party Congress on Tuesday.
The others are Liu Yunshan, Zhang Gaoli, Yu Zhengsheng and Zhang Dejiang.
Wang, 69, has been the face of China’s fight against corruption during his reign as CCDI boss and has overseen the arrests of thousands of former government officials.
The crackdown also put a halt to the flow of money into Macau during its peak, with gaming revenues in the Asian casino hub plummeting by 38% from a high of MOP$361.9 billion (US$45.2 billion) in 2013 to MOP$223.2 billion (US$27.9 billion) last year.
It is expected that Zhao Leji will take over Wang’s role after he was elected to the CCDI by delegates. Zhao, who has been a member of the Politburo Standing Committee since 2012, is known for his strong economic track record.
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