A senior military officer has been expelled from the Communist Party of China, according to a key meeting concluded on Thursday.

Yang Jinshan, a lieutenant-general and former deputy head of the Chengdu Military Area Command, gravely violated Party discipline, according to a decision made at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which started on Monday.

Under the Party's rules and regulations, the highest penalty for a Party member is to strip him or her of membership. Those suspected of breaking criminal laws are transferred to judicial authorities and prosecuted.