Chinese Communist Party replaces prominent Politburo member following political scandal

The Chinese Communist Party said today that it had replaced its Chongqing chief, Politburo member Bo Xilai, following a political scandal. The scandal was seen as potentially dealing a huge blow to resurgent conservative-leaning forces in the party.

Vice premier Zhang Dejiang has replaced Bo as Chongqing party secretary, in line with the decision of the Central Committee of the party, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported this morning.

Bo, who had served as party chief in the south-western municipality since 2007, had emerged as a key figure of the next generation of the leadership that would assume office later this year as part of a once-in-a-decade transition.

Until recently, he was considered a front runner for a seat in the next nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, the small group of high leaders that effectively runs the country.

Bo, like vice president and likely successor to president Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping, belongs to the next line of leadership and is one of the most recognisable faces of the party. He is among the second-generation of emerging leaders - the children of former revolutionaries - known in China as the ''princelings''.

His future had come under a cloud following an investigation targeting the former police chief Wang Lijun, once his close associate.