Chinese official asks drive against remaining 'leftists'

A senior Chinese official called Thursday for a purge of remaining leftists in the Communist Party hierarchy, to reduce radical influence in its bureaucracy.

Zhang Yun, a member of the influential party disciplinary committee, wrote in a political journal that followers of the disgraced Maoist ''gang of four'' still held high positions and were sabotaging party policy. But she said each case should be treated individually and warned against a Maoist-type witch hunt.