Senior military official Zhang Yang’s death follows two months of silence on his whereabouts.
A former high-ranking Chinese military official has taken his own life, state media say, sparking a debate over the possible circumstances.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, Zhang Yang was found dead at his home last Thursday.
State media say he had been suspected of corruption and was being questioned by police prior to his death.
Media silence on his whereabouts since August had created intrigue in both Hong Kong’s and social media.
China Daily had suddenly announced in August that a new figure would be appointed to his director of political work role.
Zhang had served as a general in the People’s Liberation Army and was considered a key ally of President Xi Jinping, rising quickly through the ranks since Mr Xi took office in 2012.
Zhang had been a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the top-ranking military branch of the Communist Party government.
He was also a member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee and served as director of the army’s General Political Department, the administrative department that oversees the army’s political activities.
Rumours circulated in late August that Zhang, along with another high-ranking official, Fang Fenghui, was being investigated in connection with President Xi’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
Hong Kong’s Ming Pao daily said in late August that the CMC was expected to undergo a « major personnel reshuffle » ahead of the October National Congress – China’s most important political event when key changes to the country’s leadership are announced.
