Chinese ex-military leader, charged with graft, dies

BEIJING, March 16 (UPI) -- Former Gen. Xu Caihou of China's People's Liberation Army, who last year confessed to taking bribes, died Sunday.

Xu, 71, was formerly the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Communist Party's military leadership arm and a member of the 25-person Politburo, the high-ranking party council, from 2007 to 2012.

According to China's state news agency, Xinhua, Xu died from bladder cancer.

There was some speculation, however, that Xu had died days earlier but the announcement was delayed because of the National People's Congress.

"Xu was expected to die many days ago, but it would have been impossible to announce his death at the time because there is a rule that no one and nothing can be allowed to shift the focus away from the ongoing National People's Congress," a source told the South China Morning Post.

Xu had been facing trial for graft following an investigation that began last June. Military prosecutors announced in October that Xu had confessed to taking "extremely huge" bribes both for himself and his family in exchange for promotions and other advantages.

Following his death announcement, officials said that while "it is clear that Xu Caihou took bribes," the criminal case against him would not go forward.

High-ranking Chinese officials have come under scrutiny as part of sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping in 2012. Xu was among the most senior officials to be investigated.