Xiao Yaqing, the former Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, was expelled from the Communist Party of China for serious violations of discipline and law for accepting banquets that may affect the fair performance of official duties, accepting large sums of money from others, etc. However, because he was able to "truthfully explain the facts of my violation of discipline and law in a relatively short period of time", the official gave him a dismissal from government affairs and was demoted to a first-level chief staff member.

According to a report on the website of the State Supervisory Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China on Monday (December 19), with the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Supervisory Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection conducted a case-filing review and investigation into Xiao Yaqing's serious violation of discipline and law. After investigation, Xiao Yaqing betrayed his original mission, lost his political awareness and party spirit, ignored the spirit of the eight central regulations, and accepted banquets that may affect the fair performance of official duties; the bottom line of discipline was lost, he was not close to Qing, and accepted large sums of money from others in violation of regulations.

At the same time, Xiao Yaqing seriously violated the CCP's political discipline, organizational discipline and integrity discipline, and constituted a duty violation, and did not restrain or stop after the 18th CPC National Congress, which was serious in nature.

However, the circular pointed out that in view of Xiao Yaqing's ability to truthfully explain the facts of his violation of discipline and law in a relatively short period of time, admit his mistakes and repent of his mistakes, and refund his income for violation of discipline and law in full, he can be lenient in accordance with the principle of punishing before and after punishing the disease and saving the person. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Disciplinary Action" and the "Law on Administrative Sanctions for Chinese government officials" and other relevant provisions, after the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for approval, it was decided to give Xiao Yaqing the punishment of expulsion from the party, and the State Supervisory Commission will give him the punishment of dismissal from government affairs, demoted to a first-level chief staff member,

Xiao Yaqing was investigated at the end of July this year. There were signs before Xiao Yaqing was sacked. The representative meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and state organs elected representatives to attend the 20th CPC National Congress on the 19th of this month. The list of representatives of 293 people was announced on Wednesday (July 27). Almost all the "top leaders" of the central ministries and commissions were among them, but Xiao Yaqing's name was not seen, causing speculation from the outside world.

Public information shows that Xiao Yaqing, born in 1959, is a native of Xinle, Hebei. He graduated from Central South University majoring in material processing engineering, and then obtained a doctorate in engineering. He is a professor-level senior engineer.

He has worked in the non-ferrous metal industry for a long time. In 2004, he served as the general manager and party secretary of Aluminum Corporation of China, and concurrently served as the chairperson and chief executive officer of Aluminum Corporation of China joint stock company.

During his time at Chinalco, Xiao Yaqing presided over a number of domestic and foreign asset acquisition projects, including leading Chinalco's 2008 deal to buy a stake in Rio Tinto, one of the world's four largest iron ore mining giants.

In 2009, Xiao Yaqing entered the system of the State Council and served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council. He worked in this post for seven years, cooperating with the Vice Premier in charge of industry, telecommunications, energy, transportation and other important economic fields.

He became the director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council in 2016, and was transferred to the director of the State Administration for Market Regulation three years later.

In 2020, Xiao Yaqing succeeded Miao Wei as Minister of MIIT. In China's administrative sequence, although the ministries and commissions affiliated to the State Council and the General Administration are both ministerial-level units, the status of the ministries and commissions is higher than that of the General Administration. Xiao Yaqing took over the MIIT at that time and was considered to be reused.

Xiao Yaqing is the fourth member of the Central Committee to be investigated since the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017. The other three are Liu Shiyu, former chairperson of the China Securities Supervision Commission, Fu Zhenghua, former Minister of Justice of China, and Shen Deyong, former executive vice president of the Supreme People's Court of China. In the five years after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, 17 members of the Central Committee fell.