Top China statistician dismissed in crackdown

BEIJING - China's leading statistician was sacked after anti-corruption investigations implicated him in the Shanghai pension fund scandal.

Qiu Xiaohua - who announced a new "Happiness Index" this year to include living conditions, the environment and salary - was dismissed as chief of the statistics bureau for breaches of discipline, National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Li Xiaochao said.

"Relevant departments, when carrying out investigations into the Shanghai social security fund scandal, found out that Qiu was suspected of being involved in severe violations of party discipline. The central disciplinary office is [investigating]."

More than 100 central government anti-corruption investigators are probing money reportedly drained from the city's 10 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) social security fund for illicit loans and investments.

The investigation led to the dismissal of Chen Liangyu as Shanghai Communist Party boss last month.

- REUTERS