China fires senior shipbuilding official for accepting bribes

China’s anti-graft agency has fired the general manager of state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC) and expelled him from the Communist Party after an investigation found he had accepted bribes and abused his power.

Sun Bo’s actions harmed the interests of CSIC, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on Monday, adding it would seize his illegal income and transfer his case to the judicial bodies.

CSIC did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday, while Reuters was not able to contact Sun.

The CCDI had said in June it was investigating Sun who was suspected of serious disciplinary and legal violations.

CSIC is one of China’s largest shipbuilders and is currently developing the first home-grown aircraft carrier, the Type 001A.

The design for the carrier draws on experiences from the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China.

The South China Morning Post newspaper, citing two sources close to the Chinese military, said on Tuesday that Sun was investigated for allegedly passing confidential information about the Liaoning to foreign intelligence agents.

China’s powerful graft watchdog has investigated and punished thousands of government and state employees in its campaign against corruption, which has been championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.