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Global

China's Jiuquan Steel chairman under investigation for disciplinary violations


    SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The chairman of state-owned Jiuquan Iron & Steel Group is being probed for "serious disciplinary violations", China's corruption watchdog said, in further evidence that the government has intensified its crackdown on graft in the sector.

    China is stepping up its anti-corruption campaign on government officials and state-owned companies. Companies targeted earlier have included Shenhua Group [SHGRP.UL], China National Petroleum Corporation [CNPET.UL] and China National Nuclear Corp [CNNNC.UL].

    Jiuquan Chairman Feng Jie is being investigated for "serious disciplinary violations" - a term usually referring to corruption - China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a notice published late on Thursday.

    Jiuquan Steel is the only sizable mill in northwestern Gansu province and its production is equivalent to a quarter of the crude steel output of Baosteel Group.

    Repeated calls to Jiuquan Steel [JISCO.UL] went unanswered.

    A top executive of Baosteel Group and a deputy general manager of Wuhan Iron & Steel have also been put under investigation for disciplinary violations.

    (Reporting by Ruby Lian in SHANGHAI and Meg Shen in HONG KONG; Editing by Kazunori Takada and Tom Hogue)