China's Communist Party removes ex-foreign, defence ministers from top body

China's Communist Party accepted the resignation of former foreign minister Qin Gang from its Central Committee on Thursday, Xinhua reported, during a major meeting of the party's largest top-level executive body. 

The Central Committee said it expelled former defence minister Li Shangfu, as well as former PLA Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao for "serious violations of discipline and law", a euphemism for corruption. 

Li Shangfu was expelled from the Communist Party last month on bribery charges, as China's People's Liberation Army undergoes a sweeping anti-corruption purge which has implicated two former defence ministers and nine top generals. 

Qin was abruptly dismissed as foreign minister in July last year after seven months in the job, and has not been seen in public since. Li was ousted as defence minister last October without explanation, before being placed under a graft investigation.