BEIJING (AP) — A crusading west China police chief has dropped from sight amid unconfirmed reports of a scandal.
The Chongqing city government said Wang Lijun had taken leave to recover from anxiety and physical ailments resulting from his heavy work load. A brief government notice said Wang was undergoing "vacation-style therapy," but gave no details.
A city government spokesman confirmed the notice but had no specifics.
Wang has been the subject of days of speculation, including online reports he sought asylum at the American consulate in Chongqing after a falling-out with the city's Communist Party secretary, Bo Xilai. Bo appointed Wang in 2008 to clean up the force and take on organized crime.
U.S. diplomats did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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