Party chief of scandal-plagued China Red Cross steps down

The Communist Party chief of the Red Cross Society of China has stepped down as the organisation still struggles to restore public confidence after a series of scandals.

Zhao Baige, 62, will no longer serve as the society's executive vice-president and the head of its Communist Party committee, according to a statement posted on its website yesterday.

Zhao would be succeeded by Xu Ke, 58, a deputy minister at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the society said. Zhao took up her role at the Red Cross in late 2011, a few months after a woman falsely claiming to represent the society, Guo Meimei, created nationwide controversy by posting pictures of a Maserati car and luxury bags on her social media account.

The Red Cross has also been criticised for misuse of donations and public funds in recent years.

Guo appeared on state television last month apologising for fabricating her connections to the Red Cross and tarnishing its image.

The Red Cross called on donors on its social media page "to please forget Guo Meimei" in the wake of her confession. The controversies have led to a fall in donations to the Red Cross on the mainland.