Former head of China Tobacco arrested

Ling Chengxing, former head of China's State Tobacco Monopoly Administration also known as China Tobacco, has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes and abuse of power by personnel of State-owned company, as announced by the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Tuesday.

The SPP said in a statement that the National Commission of Supervision recently concluded the investigation on him and transferred his case to procuratorial organs for review and prosecution.

Ling, 66, from Jiangxi province, joined the Communist Party of China in 1977 and began working in 1980. He worked in Jiangxi for about 30 years and served in different roles, including as executive vice-governor of the province.

He was the head of China Tobacco from May 2013 to July 2018, when he retired.

He was placed under investigation in October 2023, and expelled from the Party and removed from his office in April this year.