BEIJING - Zhang Lifu, a former senior legislator in the southern island province of Hainan, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) following an internal investigation, the CPC's disciplinary watchdog said Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), Zhang, a former deputy head of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial People's Congress, was found to have accepted monetary gifts and given tacit consent to relatives who sought benefits through his posts.

Zhang seriously violated the "eight-point rules," which were introduced in December 2012 by the CPC to reduce bureaucracy, extravagance, and undesirable work habits, according to the statement.

It said Zhang attended banquets using public funds and interfered in disciplinary investigations.