(XINHUA)

 Zhou Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has been expelled from the Party and arrested, with prosecutors opening an investigation into his suspected crimes, authorities announced on December 6.

The decisions were made after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee deliberated over and adopted an investigation report on Zhou's severe disciplinary violations.

The investigation found that Zhou seriously violated the Party's political, organizational and confidentiality discipline. He took advantage of his posts to seek profits for others and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family.