Tang Renjian, China’s Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is under investigation for violations of discipline and law, the country’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced on Saturday. He is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervisory investigation. This statement does not provide any additional specific details.

Tang Renjian, 61 years old, has held various positions in the Ministry of Agriculture, the Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, as well as in the Party Committee and Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He has been serving as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs since December 2020. Three days prior to the announcement of the investigation, he attended the National Rural Talent Work Conference held in Xianyang, Shaanxi.

The penalties Tang Renjian will face depend on the results of further investigation. The Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Chinese Communist Party, as the fundamental code of party discipline, stipulate various violations of party discipline by party members, such as abuse of power, embezzlement, and violations of rules on integrity and self-discipline. Additionally, if his actions are found to constitute a crime, relevant provisions of the Criminal Law, such as Article 383, which stipulates the penalty for embezzlement, and Article 397, which stipulates the penalty for abuse of power, may apply.