Ex-AVIC chairman arrested in corruption probe

Tan Ruisong, former chairman of State-owned defense conglomerate Aviation Industry Corp of China, has been arrested on charges of bribery and embezzlement, China's top prosecutor said on Monday.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement that an investigation into Tan had been completed by the National Commission of Supervision, and he was transferred to prosecutors for judicial proceedings.

Tan, 63, a native of Hunan province, spent his entire career in the automobile and aviation manufacturing sectors after graduating in 1983 from the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics, now known as Beihang University.

He served as chairman and Communist Party chief of AVIC, China's dominant aircraft manufacturer, for nearly five years before being removed from his post in March 2023.

In August last year, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision announced Tan was under internal investigation.

Last month, China's top anti-corruption watchdogs said Tan had been expelled from the party after investigators found he had accepted bribes, embezzled large amounts of public funds, engaged in extramarital affairs, and abused his power to help others secure jobs, construction contracts, and business acquisitions.