Yang Hongxu, former Yantai political and legal affairs secretary, under investigation

Yang Hongxu, the former political and legal affairs committee secretary of Yantai in Shandong Province, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. The announcement was made by the Shandong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

Yang, a former first-level inspector, held several key leadership positions in the region, including serving as the mayor and party secretary of Laizhou City, the party secretary of Longkou City, and a member of the Standing Committee of the Yantai Municipal Party Committee. He held the position of political and legal affairs committee secretary from late 2015 until February 2022.

Reports indicate that the investigation comes four years after his retirement. International human rights organizations have previously identified Yang as a person responsible for the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners during his tenure in various administrative roles across Yantai.