Guo Yongxiang has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and stripped of his public office for "serious law and discipline violations", the party's anti-graft watchdog said in an announcement on its website (www.ccdi.gov.cn).

Guo worked together with Zhou for at least 12 years, according to both their official resumes, including in the southwestern province of Sichuan where Zhou was party boss. Guo eventually rose to be a vice provincial governor.