BEIJING -?Chen Chuanshu, a former senior official of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, has been demoted for "serious dereliction of duty and irresponsibility," the discipline arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) announced Monday.

Chen was formerly a member of the ministry's leading Party group and former chairman of the China Association for Aged People, according to a statement by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on its website.

An investigation found Chen failed to fulfill his duty, shoulder responsibility and adequately supervise and manage when he served as the leader of a subordinate unit of the ministry, and he must "take the primary leadership responsibility for the occurrence of related problems," according to the CCDI without identifying the problems involved.

Based on CPC regulations on disciplinary penalties as well as Chen's violations, Chen has been given penalties, including being placed on probation in the Party for one year, removal from his administrative post, and being demoted to a non-leadership position at the bureau level.