Leading members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Monday endorsed a decision to expel Kang Rixin, the former head of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), from the CPC Central Committee.

The Fifth Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the CPC also endorsed a decision to strip Kang, 57, former general manager of CNNC, of his CPC membership. The decision was made by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Dec. 29, 2009.

The CPC Central Committee also decided to appoint Yan Rongzhu, an alternate member of the CPC Central Committee and Party chief of Jinan City of Shandong Province, to fill the vacancy.

Kang had been a member of the CPC Central Committee since October 2007.

He was found to have abused his authority, enabled profits for others, and taken huge bribes, according to the findings of investigations conducted by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Kang had been referred for prosecution and his illegal gains confiscated, said a statement from the CCDI in January.

Born in 1953, Kang became CNNC Party chief and general manager in September 2003.

The CNNC, a large state-owned enterprise, comprises more than 100 subsidiary companies and institutes.

As the main investor and the biggest owner of nuclear power plants in China, it carries out research and development as well as construction in fields such as nuclear electricity production, nuclear fuels and nuclear technology application.