Chongqing police chief quits parliament

Wang Lijun, the former Chongqing police chief whose dash to the US consulate triggered the downfall of Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai, has resigned as a member of China’s parliament, The Guardian reported. Chongqing authorities accepted Wang’s resignation as a deputy to the National People’s Congress on June 26, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. That act removes Wang’s immunity from prosecution as a member of parliament, potentially clearing the way for charges of treason to be made against him. Wang took refuge in the US consulate in February, shortly before the central government announced it was leading an investigation into Bo. Bo was then expelled from China’s Politburo in April due to allegations that he had violated party discipline and that his wife was involved in the death of British businessman Neil Heywood.