China's Communist Party announced Friday that Ma Xingrui, a member of the Politburo and former party secretary of Xinjiang, is under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and law." The probe makes Ma the third member of the party's highest decision-making body to face investigation this year.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission are conducting the investigation, according to state news agency Xinhua. The phrase "serious violations of discipline and law" typically signals corruption charges in China's political system.
Ma joins General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and General Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the General Staff Department, in facing investigation. Previous accusations against military officials included "trampling and undermining the responsibility system of the chairman of the Central Military Commission" — a reference to Xi Jinping — and "fostering serious political and corruption problems" in the army.
The 66-year-old Ma holds a doctorate in general mechanics and spent nearly a decade at Harbin Institute of Technology, a northeastern university with close ties to defense and aerospace sectors. He later joined China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the country's main spacecraft and missile manufacturer.
During the 2000s, Ma oversaw major space and satellite programs before assuming leadership of the National Space Administration and Atomic Energy Authority in 2013. His administrative career included roles as party chief in Shenzhen and governor of Guangdong province, one of China's most economically dynamic regions.