Society

China's railway minister under investigation

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-12 18:37

Chinese Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun.[File Photo]

BEIJING - Chinese Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun is under investigation over alleged severe violation of discipline, the Communist Party of China's (CPC's) discipline watchdog confirmed Saturday.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC did not give further details at the moment.

Liu, 58, has been removed from the post of the ministry's Party chief, Xinhuanet cited the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee as saying.

Sheng Guangzu, 62, head of the General Administration of Customs (GAC), was reportedly appointed to replace Liu as the ministry's Party chief.

About a month ago, Zhang Jingli, former deputy director of the State Food and Drug Administration, was stood down from public office and expelled from the CPC for serious violations of discipline and law.

According to the CCDI and the Ministry of Supervision, Zhang abused his position to benefit others and in return received "a large amount of money" in bribes.

A total of 146,517 officials across China were punished for disciplinary violations in 2010, according to the CCDI.

Among them, 5,098 were leading officials at the county level or above and 804 of them were prosecuted.

Early last month when addressing a CCDI plenary session, President Hu Jintao stressed that corruption was still a grave concern for the country and vowed that the government would fight it with greater determination and with more force.