TAIYUAN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Feng Lixiang, the former Party secretary of Datong City in north China's Shanxi Province, has been removed from his post in the provincial people's congress, the local legislature.

The decision was passed Friday by the 15th session of the Standing Committee of the 12th Shanxi Provincial People's Congress.

Feng is under investigation for suspected "serious discipline and law violations", the provincial discipline watchdog said Wednesday.

Feng Lixiang has been Party secretary of the coal-rich city since 2008. Prior to that, Feng served as Datong mayor and previously held several powerful posts in Shanxi capital Taiyuan.

The probe into Feng is the latest in a string of investigations of Shanxi policy makers, including several high-ranking provincial leaders.