China arrests former head of religious affairs body

Immediately after the visit of Chinese Communist Party Leader (CCP) Xi Jinping to Urumqi, the former head of Chinese religious affairs Cui Maohu, was arrested for accepting a large amount of bribes.

Cui, who also served as deputy head of the United Front Work Department, was expelled last week from the ruling Communist Party and removed from public office over "serious" violations, including suspected bribery, the anti-graft watchdog said.

He was also found to have "illegally occupied arable land to engage in vanity projects," the watchdog and a supervisory body said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

He was also faulted over banquets and tourism "that could affect official duties", received gifts and property, and used his position to get sex and money, added the watchdog, formally called the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Cui was fired from his post of director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, and put under investigation in March, days after China's new cabinet started its new term.

(Reuters)