China’s Communist Party shows the door to ‘superstitious’ former vice-governor

Former deputy governor of Guangdong Liu Zhigeng has been expelled from the Communist Party for “engaging in longstanding superstitious activities” and graft, the party’s top anti-corruption unit announced ­on Monday.

Liu, who had also served as the mayor and party boss of Dongguan, would face prosecution, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said after it concluded the probe.

Liu was placed under investigation in February for “severe violations of party discipline”, a euphemism for corruption. “The investigation has shown that Liu severely violated political discipline. He has been resisting investigation and engaging in longstanding superstitious activities,” according to a statement by the CCDI.

China’s anti-graft investigation of Guangdong’s vice-governor ‘linked to Dongguan’s sex trade’

It added that Liu had failed to report personal affairs, violated anti-graft discipline, allowed his relatives to take advantage of his exalted position in public office, promoted the sex trade, squandered public resources, intervened in land-use issues and took bribes.

The statement did not elaborate on Liu’s superstitious activities, but there have been reports in recent years of officials of the atheist party turning to such means to further their careers.

The Beijing News reported that several online complaints were registered in Dongguan in 2012, accusing Liu of turning to a monk for advice on feng shui.

Liu is linked to the city of Dongguan’s once flourishing sex trade, according to mainland media ­reports.