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BEIJING -- A member of China's powerful Central Committee, the heart of the ruling Communist Party, has fled the country to escape a corruption probe, sources said Wednesday.
Gao Yan, general manager of China's State Power Corp., left the country last month as authorities investigated him on suspicion of possible economic misdeeds, a source familiar with the investigation said.
Gao's destination was not clear, but the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported Wednesday that he had made his way to a Western country.
His flight is a potential embarrassment for the Beijing government, which is striving to appear united and unblemished as it gears up for a crucial party gathering next month that could see a major transfer of power to a new generation of leaders.
Rumors of an investigation into Gao have circulated for weeks, triggering a sharp drop in the value of his company's stock. Executives at State Power were so alarmed by the plunge that they called an emergency news conference last week to...