Briefly

Former vice-governor jailed for graft

Li Chunsheng, former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 4 million yuan ($556,000) for accepting bribes by the Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Hunan province on Wednesday. According to the verdict, Li was found to have taken advantage of his various posts to accept bribes valued at more than 79.4 million yuan, including some that he had not ultimately obtained, between the second half of 2001 and May 2022.Li provided assistance to units and individuals in enterprise operations, project promotion, engineering contracting, job promotion and related matters. Li was previously vice-governor of Guangdong province and director of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department.

Ex-legislator in Fujian expelled from CPC

Su Zengtian, formerly vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China for serious violations of Party discipline and State laws, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. The decision was made following an investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, according to the statement from the country's top anti-graft watchdogs. It said Su has lost his ideals and convictions and refused to cooperate with the investigation against him. Failing to abide by the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct, he attended banquets, accepted travel arrangements, and sought benefits for others in the selection and appointment of officials, as well as in the election of deputies to the people's congress, according to the findings of the investigation. He was found to have accepted money, gifts and consumer cards in violation of regulations, engaged in money-for-sex and power-for-money trades, and abused his positions to benefit others in land transfers, enterprise operations and job promotions, receiving substantial amounts of property in return.

New species of impatiens discovered

Researchers have discovered a new species of impatiens, Impatiens lhunzeensis, in Lhokha, in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Wuhan Botanical Garden collected the plant during a field survey in Longzi Lhunze county in 2022 and, based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, identified it as a new species. Hu Guangwan, from the botanical garden, said the new species is morphologically similar to Impatiens radiata, but it differs by having a hairy stem, leaf blade and leaf stalk. Hu said around 354 species of impatiens have been recorded in China, primarily found in the mountainous parts of southwestern and northwestern regions. The research findings were published in the international academic journal Phytotaxa last month.

China Daily - Xinhua