China removes economic data chief amid probe

Hong Kong

CHINA removed Wang Baoan as head of the national statistics bureau, in a case that risks further undermining confidence in government economic data.

Mr Wang, 52, was sacked from the National Bureau of Statistics under suspicion of "severe disciplinary violations", the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the organisational department of the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee. The decision to remove Mr Wang from both his party and government posts came just three days after the Central Committee of Discipline Inspection announced the suspected violations, using the party's usual euphemism for corruption.