Senior political adviser Yang Xiaowei expelled from Party, public office

Yang Xiaowei, former deputy director of the Committee on Education, Science, Health and Sports of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and dismissed from public office, the country's top watchdogs said on Monday.

A statement by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said that Yang lost his ideals and convictions, accepted gifts and prepaid cards, and attended banquets that could have affected the impartial performance of his duties. He helped others in employee recruitment and accepted valuables in return and acquiesced his relatives using his authority or influence for personal gains. Yang also used his position to benefit others in business operations, project bidding and engineering contracts, illegally accepting large sums of money and goods.

Yang's actions severely violated the Party's organizational, integrity, and lifestyle disciplines, constituting serious violations of duty, and he is suspected of bribery. His case and illegal gains will be transferred to the procuratorial authorities for legal review and prosecution, the statement said.

Yang, 62, a native of Chongqing, began his career in 1981 and joined the Party in 1984. He served as the deputy general manager of China Unicom from 2003 to 2008, after which he served as the deputy general manager of China Telecom Group for eight years. He was promoted to general manager of China Telecom Group in April 2016.

From June 2017 to 2021, he served as the deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the deputy director of the National Radio and Television Administration from August 2021 to March 2023. In March 2023, he became the deputy director of the Committee on Education, Science, Health, and Sports of the CPPCC National Committee.

Yang was placed under disciplinary review and supervisory investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law in April this year.