Businesswoman Liu Yingxia linked to Zhou Yongkang ousted from CPPCC
High profile businesswoman removed from Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference without explanation, linked to graft probe into former chief of internal security
A businesswoman ranked as one of the 50 wealthiest in China has been ousted from a senior political organisation, with state media on Friday pointing to her links to a former high-ranking official facing graft allegations.
Liu Yingxia, who was listed as China’s 46th richest woman with assets of 4 billion yuan (HK$5 billion) by wealth publisher the Hurun Report last year, was removed as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday.
The CPPCC is a debating chamber that is part of the Communist Party-controlled governmental structure and usually meets once a year in March. Xinhua described her as its “most pretty” member at a previous meeting.
The official news agency gave no reason for her banishment.
Liu was born in 1972 to a military family and served five years in the armed forces. She founded the Harbin Xiangying Group in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang at the age of 20 and the company now operates in the property, utility and road construction sectors, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported on Friday.
A man who answered the office phone at the company on Thursday said Liu was out of the country for medical treatment for cancer and would return to China soon.