Chinese university removes Marxist student leader

BEIJING: A top Chinese university on Thursday removed the student leader of an on-campus Marxist group, replacing him and other core members with its own picks -- most of them Communist Party members.

The person responsible for the Marxist society "repeatedly" organised activities in violation of rules, the Peking University Student Extracurricular Guidance Centre posted on the school’s internal online forum.

He has already been "penalised" by the public security bureau and "does not have the qualifications to continue... as head of the organisation", it said. The removal of Qiu Zhanxuan, the school’s Marxist society president, comes a day after he was detained by police for -- according to a witness -- attempting to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Mao Zedong, whose legacy in China remains controversial.