Guosen Securities president found hanged amid investigation into stock market misconduct

The president of state-owned Guosen Securities, Chen Hongqiao, hanged himself in his Shenzhen home on Thursday night, mainland media outlet Caixin reported on Friday, quoting police in the former boomtown in southern Guangdong province.

Chen was a former senior stock market regulator and was a deputy of Zhang Yujun, the former assistant chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, who has been under investigation for "severe violation of discipline" since September 16, according to a statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

In an announcement filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Friday afternoon, state-owned Guosen Securities said Chen had died in unexplained circumstances.

"The company's operations are normal and there's nothing else that needs to be disclosed," Guosen said in the statement. The company was told of Chen's death by his family, it said.

Shenzhen police were not available for comment on Friday.