Top political advisory body official under investigation

Su Rong, former vice chairman of the country's top political advisory body and one of the graft "tigers," has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office following an internal investigation.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) made the announcement on Friday.

Su is suspected of taking taking bribes and selling positions, becoming the latest senior figure to fall in a deepening anti-corruption campaign.

Su Rong had been one of the 23 vice-chairmen of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference until authorities began an investigation.

He abused his power over personnel appointments and the operation of unidentified companies and took "an enormous amount of bribes", said the top anti-graft watchdog.

He "abused his power and caused great losses to state assets", it said in a statement, without providing details.

"As a senior party official, Su Rong disregarded the party's political rules ... wantonly sold ranks and titles, led the official ranks astray and damaged the atmosphere in society," the statement said.

His influence was "abominable" and he has been officially stripped of his title and expelled from the party, it said.

Details of Su's case have been handed to judicial authorities, it said, and he will face prosecution in court.

Local media has said the probe into Su was possibly linked to his time in Jiangxi, and that Su's wife took bribes related to land deals and construction projects. It was not possible to reach Su or his family for comment.

China's campaign against deep-rooted official corruption has intensified since the appointment of President Xi Jinping in 2013, with several senior government figures and state company executives already in detention.