China probes senior Hebei Iron & Steel executive for suspected graft

BEIJING (Reuters) - The deputy general manager of Hebei Iron and Steel, China's largest steel company by output, is being investigated by the ruling Communist Party for suspected corruption, the party's anti-graft watchdog said on Wednesday. Wang Hongren is suspected of "serious discipline breaches", the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a brief statement, using its usual euphemism for graft but providing no other details. Dozens of senior officials and executives have been caught up in a sweeping campaign against corruption launched by President Xi Jinping since he assumed power almost four years ago. It was not possible to reach Wang for comment and unclear if he has been allowed to retain a lawyer. The company declined to comment. Wang, 58, was formally a deputy general manager at another steel maker in the northern province of Hebei, Handan Steel Group, according to his official biography. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Xu Muyu; Editing by Josephine Mason)