Chinese official suspended for throwing tantrum

An official in Hunan Province, central China, was suspended Wednesday after he reacted to criticism of his poetry with a very public temper tantrum.

The Leiyang City committee of the Chinese Communist Party decided to suspend Xiong Aichun from his post as party chief of the local federation of literary and art circles after an internal meeting, an unnamed committee official told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Xiong posted some of his verses on lysq.com, a community website for residents of Leiyang, on July 1, accompanied by his byline and title. Users of the site then described his poems as being "lousy," "obsequious" and "vulgar".

On July 3, in a fit of fury, Xiong stormed into the website's office and demanded that the critical posts be removed. Apoplectic at the administrators' refusal to pander to his demands, he smashed a computer and left a note saying that he had done so "in an outburst of fury". Photos and videos of the incident, along with Xiong's handwritten note, quickly went viral.

Sources said the city party committee agreed that Xiong had seriously violated the code of conduct for officials.

The poems he posted online were mostly eulogies in praise of Leiyang, his hometown. In a series called "Ode to Leiyang," he said the city was "the heart of the earth" and called on the citizens to "stop complaining, cherish their life and convey positive power."

Another poem was a homage to a local tabloid that promotes healthcare services: "Their services are so good, they make their customers happy and content. Enjoy a foot massage today, and go mountain climbing tomorrow."

Xinhua failed to reach Xiong for comment. His family said he was not of sound mind when he reacted, and was now receiving treatment.

Lysq.com crashed Wednesday due to a surge in traffic. A notice on its homepage said it had been temporarily taken down and would be back online by 6 p.m. Thursday. Endi