China arrests legislator with 4 wives, 10 children

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese authorities have arrested a legislator found to have four wives.

A district official in the northern province of Shanxi said Li Junwen also had 10 children, and had been detained on suspicion of document forgery. Bigamy is a criminal offense in China, while rules restrict most couples to just one child.

Another 14 people were sacked or given warnings or demotions for negligence or helping Li arrange identity documents for his illegitimate children, said the official reached by phone at the Xiaodian district party committee in the provincial capital of Taiyuan.

The 43-year-old Li had been an appointed representative from Xiaodian and the Communist Party head of the village of Xiquan.