China removes former industry minister Xiao Yaqing from post for bribery - anti-graft watchdog

China's former industry minister Xiao Yaqing was expelled from the Communist Party for bribery and relieved of his government duties, China's anti-graft watchdog said on Monday.

Xiao, 62, will be demoted to a lower-level position and arrangements will be made for his retirement, The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on its website. He was put under investigation for suspected violations of discipline and law in July.

The ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) oversees a vast swathe of the economy, from next-generation telecoms to semiconductors, vaccine production and electric vehicles.