The death of Liu Xiaohua, ­reported by the official Xinhua News Agency yesterday, underscores the extreme pressure some local leaders are under over job stress and an ongoing crackdown on corruption.

Mr Liu apparently hanged himself at home in the provincial capital of Guangzhou on ­Sunday. He was a deputy secretary-general of the provincial Communist Party committee. Prior to that, he’d held positions in provincial and local governments, including as leader of the major city of Zhanjiang during which he dominated all major government and military posts.

A number of suicides among provincial Chinese leaders have been reported in recent years, often linked to the nation’s ­ongoing anti-corruption ­campaign that has placed officials under intense scrutiny.

It was not clear whether Mr Liu was under investigation, ­although his death came as the province’s anti-corruption watchdog had been redoubling its probes of government and state industry leaders.

Local officials are frequently accused of abusing their authority and accepting bribes in return for jobs or business favours, sometimes motivated by the need to recoup bribes they paid themselves.

AP