China official fired after jilted lover's lengthy account

BEIJING (AFP) - A senior Chinese official has lost his job, state media said today, after a jilted lover detailed their alleged affair in an online essay topping 100,000 written characters.

The downfall of Yi Junqing, who had a rank equivalent to vice minister, comes as the ruling Communist Party's new leaders have declared war on corruption and state media has exposed a raft of sex and other scandals.

Yi, who headed the party's compilation and translation bureau and allegedly had an affair with a researcher, "has been removed from his post for 'improper lifestyle'", the Xinhua news agency said, citing unidentified authorities.

Unlike in other cases, Xinhua did not provide details of the impropriety.