Former Tibet official expelled from Party

Zhang Yongze, former deputy chairman of the Tibet autonomous region, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office for serious violations of discipline and law, according to the country's top anti-graft bodies.

Zhang, 53, failed to fully execute the central government's strategy on the administration of Tibet and traded public post appointments for money, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said in a statement on Thursday, adding that his actions have severely damaged the political environment of the region and the government bodies that he served.

The statement said he was involved in superstitious activities and lived a luxurious lifestyle while trading power for money and sex. He also interfered with environmental impact assessments of construction projects for personal gain and accepted huge bribes, it said.

Zhang once served as the head of the Tibet Environmental Protection Department. In June 2015, he was appointed as the Party chief of Lhokha city before becoming the deputy chairman of Tibet in June 2017.

The statement added that Zhang has been put under investigation for the violations, and his case has been handed to prosecutors.