Former senior Guangdong legislator charged with graft

Chen Jixing, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, has been charged with accepting bribes by the Guilin People's Procuratorate in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, said the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Thursday.

The procuratorate said in a statement that the National Commission of Supervision recently concluded the investigation into Chen, and the Guilin procuratorate was assigned to handle the case.

Prosecutors have informed Chen of his rights, interrogated him, and listened to the opinions of his defense counsel.

The prosecutor has accused Chen of using his positions, such as Party chief of Jiangmen city in Guangdong and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, to seek benefits for others. In return, he accepted a large amount of property and money.

After retirement, he continued to use the convenience afforded by his former roles as director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Finance, Party chief of Jiangmen, and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress. Through the actions of other state officials, he secured improper benefits for petitioners and illegally accepted substantial amounts of money and valuables from them, said the statement.

Prosecutors claim that he should be held criminally responsible for the crimes of taking bribes and accepting bribes by exploiting influence.

A native of Guangdong, the 69-year-old began his career in 1977 and dedicated his life to public service in the province.

He served as the Party chief of Jiangmen from October 2002 to October 2011. Then he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress. In 2012, he became vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.

He was placed under investigation in July 2023, and expelled from the Party and arrested in January 2024.