BEIJING - A former Chinese state media executive has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and removed from his post for going AWOL abroad.

An official investigation found Tang Dongning, former deputy head of the "Science and Technology Daily," spent time abroad and obtained permission to settle in the UK without approval from Chinese authorities, according to a statement posted on the website of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Friday.

Tang obtained permanent residency in the UK from the country's immigration authorities.

He breached CPC rules by keeping a passport and leaving China multiple times to attend to personal affairs without reporting to the Party, said the CCDI.

According to the statement, Tang also failed to report that his wife and child had acquired permanent residency in the UK.