Officials ousted by Party in Xinjiang

Two officials in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have been expelled from the Party and removed from office due to serious discipline violations, the nation’s top discipline watchdog said on Friday.

Wang Shijiang, director of the Xinjiang Water Resources Department from 2000 to 2013, violated disciplines of the Communist Party of China and was dishonest in graft probes, according to a release on the website of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Wang, 62, was accused of taking bribes and seeking benefits for others in jobs and business. He also used public vehicles and hotel rooms of subordinate agencies for private purposes for a long time, the release said.

Wang turned a blind eye to his family’s use of his position to facilitate bribes and business, it said, adding that Wang’s behavior seriously damaged the political environment of the regional water system.

The release also said that Arken Abdurezak, former Party chief of southern Xinjiang’s Hotan county, did not stand firm and was “doublefaced” in the fight against terrorism. He was dishonest in discipline probes and could not explain the source of the huge amount of assets he possessed, it said.

Arken, 56, started his career as a middle school teacher in Hotan prefecture and served as senior official of the prefecture’s Pishan, Moyu and Hotan counties — all on the anti-terrorism front line in Xinjiang — between 1999 and June 2017, his official biography said.

Xinjiang Daily, the region’s official newspaper, reported in April that “double-faced” people, who openly advocate the fight against violence and terrorism but privately show sympathy toward terrorists, directly affect anti-terrorism efforts and jeopardize stability.

The cases of Wang and Arken have been transferred to judicial authorities for further investigation, the release said.

Also on Friday, the Xinjiang regional discipline watchdog announced that Wang Xuebin, former chairman of the State-owned Xinjiang Investment Development (Group) Co Ltd, was expelled from the Party for graft.

Wang Xuebin sought benefits in return for bribes in construction projects, business operations and job promotions, according to the announcement.