Son of China’s former security chief held in corruption probe

Former politburo member Zhou Yongkang linked to investigation

Speculation has resurfaced that

Zhou Yongkang

, China’s former state security chief, is being probed as part of an anti-corruption crackdown, with reports that the security czar’s eldest son has had his movements restricted.

According to reports, Mr Zhou's son, Zhou Bin, has been linked to a probe into Jiang Jiemin, until recently director of the commission overseeing China's major state-owned companies.

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Zhou Bin, who is married to a Chinese-American woman and is a US

resident, is being detained on the outskirts of Beijing so he could assist the party’s anti-corruption watchdog with the investigation, and barred from leaving the country, a source said.

The investigation into Mr Jiang is seen part of broader efforts to tighten the new leadership's grip on state-owned enterprises. Mr Zhou (71), is the former national security chief who ruled over the police and other law enforcement agencies for nearly a decade.

He has been linked to the faction which supports the purged former senior cadre Bo Xilai, who was jailed for life in September for corruption and abuse of power