China approves arrest of former Hainan official on corruption charges

Wang Yong, ex-vice-chairman of the provincial committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, is accused of taking bribes

He was expelled from the Communist Party earlier this year for ‘serious violations of party discipline and laws’

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Beijing has formally approved the arrest of Wang Yong, a former leader of Hainan. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:24pm, 28 Jan 2021Updated: 12:12am, 29 Jan 2021

Beijing has formally approved the arrest of Wang Yong, a former leader of Hainan, signalling it aims to weed out corruption in the southern province that has been designated as the country’s largest free-trade zone.

The Supreme People’s Procuratorate arrested the former vice-chairman of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on suspicion of taking bribes, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

The report gave no other details of Wang’s alleged crimes but said he had been “expelled from the Communist Party and removed from public office over serious violations of party discipline and laws”.

The 64-year-old native of eastern Shandong province is expected to face trial soon.

In expelling him from the Communist Party earlier this month, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s top anti-corruption agency, said Wang had violated frugality rules by frequenting private clubs, had traded power for personal gain and accepted huge amounts of bribes.