1st LD Writethru: Former boss of major Chinese automaker expelled from CPC, office

Xu Jianyi, former party chief and chairman of major Chinese automaker FAW Group, has been expelled from the Party and public office for graft, the country's top anti-graft body said Thursday.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Xu was in "serious breach of integrity and self-discipline rules" by accepting cash gifts, infringing upon state interests in the process of home purchases, and taking a bigger bonus than rules allow.

The CCDI said in a statement that Xu refused to implement decisions of the party and sought benefits for his son in promotions.

Xu used his position to seek profits for others in the appointment and selection process of officials as well as in company operations, in addition to taking bribes, the statement said.

He was also found to have interfered in investigations, it said, adding his case has been handed over to judicial authorities.

As a senior Party official, Xu seriously violated the Party's political rules and discipline and did not stop his wrongdoings even after the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, when the new leadership launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, the statement said.

The CCDI announced in March that Xu, who is also the CPC chief of the group based in Changchun, provincial capital of northeast China's Jilin, had been placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of the Party's code of conduct and laws.

In July, the top legislature disqualified Xu as a deputy to the National People's Congress. Endit