China 's former top domestic security official , Zhou Yongkang , has been arrested as part of a corruption probe , the country 's state-run Xinhua news agency reports . Zhou -- who had been one of nine members of China 's top decision-making body , the Politburo Standing Committee , before stepping down in late 2012 -- was also expelled from the Communist Party , according to Xinhua , citing a decision made Friday at a meeting of the party central committee 's political bureau . The decision comes amid a much touted anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping , one that has already ensnared several men who had once been prominent figures in government and the ruling Communist Party . Corruption is a lightning rod for public discontent across the Asian nation , which for decades has been run by the Communist Party . After taking power in late 2012 , Xi banned official extravagance -- from banquets to year-end gifts -- and vowed to target `` flies and tigers '' alike in his fight against corruption when describing his resolve to spare no one , regardless of position . One of them was Gen. Xu Caihou , a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission , which runs the world 's largest standing army . Xu was expelled from the party and handed over to prosecutors after being found to have accepted bribes , Xinhua reported in June . Like Zhou , Xu was in the Politburo before retiring in 2012 . Also this summer , Xinhua reported on the downfall of Su Rong , a former vice chairman of China 's top political advisory body . State media reported that Su and his wife profited tremendously through bribes and illegal land deals when he ran the southeastern province of Jiangxi . Zhou officially got caught up in this campaign in July , when the Communist Party announced it was opening a probe into the retired senior leader for a suspected if then unspecified `` serious disciplinary violation . '' According to a statement released Saturday by the Supreme People 's Procuratorate , or China 's prosecutor 's office , an investigation determined that Zhou took advantage of his positions to garner profits for others `` and accepted huge bribes personally and through his family , '' Xinhua reported . He did so to help relatives , mistresses and friends , leaking party and country secrets while hurting state-owned assets , according to Xinhua . The same report noted that investigators found that Zhou had affairs with a number of women , trading `` his power for sex and money . '' `` What Zhou did completely deviated from the ( Communist ) Party 's nature and mission , and seriously violated Party discipline , '' Xinhua said , citing the statement from the procuratorate . His behavior `` badly undermined the reputation of the Party , significantly damaged the cause of the Party and the people and have yielded serious consequences . ''
Zhou Yongkang had been one of nine on China 's top decision-making body . State news : He 's been arrested and expelled from the Communist Party . Investigators found Zhou took bribes , helped others , traded power for sex . He 's one of several people ensnared in China 's anti-corruption campaign .