Former senior provincial official in South China expelled from CPC, office

BEIJING -- Zhang Qi, a former senior official in southern China's Hainan province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office over serious violations of discipline and laws, according to a statement by the top anti-graft body Wednesday.

Zhang, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the CPC and former secretary of the CPC Haikou municipal committee, is being investigated by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, said the statement.

An investigation found that Zhang failed to faithfully and fully implement major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, the statement said.

He violated the eight-point code on Party and government conduct by accepting banquets and tourist trips arranged by private business owners on many occasions, the statement said.

Abusing his public power, Zhang sought benefits for others in terms of construction project contracts, real estate development and official promotion and received a huge amount of property and money in return, the statement added.

Zhang severely violated the Party's political discipline and rules on frugality, organization, clean governance, work and life and is suspected of taking bribes, said the statement, adding that he showed no signs of restraint even after the 18th CPC National Congress.

Zhang's qualifications for delegates to the 19th CPC National Congress and the seventh CPC Hainan Provincial Congress were also terminated, while his illicit gains would be confiscated.

His suspected crimes will be transferred to the procuratorate for further investigation and prosecution, it added.