Jiangxi official charged with corruption

Xiao Yi, former vice-chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, has been charged with taking bribes and abuse of power by the Hangzhou People's Procuratorate in Zhejiang province, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement on Tuesday.

Xiao abused his positions, including as Party chief of Fuzhou, Jiangxi province and as vice chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, to assist entities and individuals with project contracts, project development and other matters, the statement said. In return, he received large sums of money, as well as property.

Prosecutors said that while serving as the Party chief of Fuzhou, Xiao violated State regulations by helping some local companies engaged in the manufacturing and sales of virtual currency production equipment and virtual currency transaction activities with subsidies, trials, funding support and guaranteed electricity, resulting in heavy public losses and a negative social impact.

China's top economic regulator, the National Development and Reform Commission, announced last year to intensify regulation over virtual currency mining as part of the country's ongoing efforts to save energy and cut carbon emissions.

The 59-year-old is a native of Ganzhou city in Jiangxi. He began working in 1981 and joined the Party in 1984, becoming Fuzhou Party chief in 2015 and rising to vice-chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPPCC in 2018.

Xiao was placed under investigation in May 2021, and was expelled from the Party and removed from his post in November 2021.