Ex-Party chief in Hebei expelled for graft

Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of Hebei province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office for multiple offenses including graft, speaking against the Party line and hindering an official investigation.

"Zhou severely violated political discipline and rules," the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement on Friday.

"Zhou made remarks on major issues that went against the spirit of the central authority, and failed to earnestly implement the building of a clean government by interfering with and hindering investigations," the statement added, without elaborating.

"Zhou seriously violated the rules in promoting officials, and failed to report related personal matters," it said.

He also flouted frugality rules introduced at the end of 2012 by engaging in lavish receptions, holding banquets financed by public funds, frequenting private clubs, and "living an extravagant and wasteful life", said the statement.

Zhou was found to have accepted bribes by taking advantage of his post, according to the statement.

"His family values are skewed and he indulged his wife and children," it said.

In addition, Zhou broke CPC internal rules by storing classified documents and leaking State secrets, the CCDI said.

As a member of the CPC Central Committee, Zhou showed no signs of self-discipline even after the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, when the anti-corruption campaign was launched, according to the statement.

It said the decision to expel Zhou from the Party will be confirmed later at the upcoming plenary session of the CPC Central Committee. Zhou's ill gotten gains will be confiscated and his case will be handed over to prosecutors, the CCDI said.

The investigation into the 62-year-old started in July.

Besides Zhou, another three high-level officials were also expelled from the CPC on Friday.

They are Yang Dongliang, former head of the State Administration of Work Safety, Pan Yiyang, former vice-chairman of the government of northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and Yu Yuanhui, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region committee of the CPC.