Former Central South University president expelled from Party and dismissed from public office

Zhang Yaoxue, former president of Central South University in Hunan province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office for serious violations of Party discipline and law, China's top anti-graft authorities said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, investigators found that Zhang had resisted organizational review and violated the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct by improperly accepting banquets.

He was also found to have failed to truthfully report problems during an organizational inquiry, and to have accepted money and valuables while assisting others in personnel selection, academic title conferral and honors evaluation. He was further found to have fueled misconduct and corruption in the academic field.

The authorities said Zhang abused public power for personal gain, using his positions to seek benefits for others in business operations and job promotions. In return, he illegally accepted a huge amount of money and valuables.

His suspected crimes have been transferred to procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution, along with the assets involved, the statement said.

Zhang, 70, a native of Hunan province, began working in 1976 and joined the Party in April 1987. He previously served as director of the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.

He was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2007 and served as president of Central South University from 2011 until his retirement in 2017. Zhang was placed under investigation in October 2025.