Photo: a screenshot from video circulating on Sina Weibo

A subsidiary company under the state-owned giant China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) said they had dismissed executive director, manager and Party secretary of one of its subsidiary companies after viral pictures show the official was having an extramarital relationship with a female subordinate. 

The company, named CNPC (Beijing) project management company, said they're paying close attention to the issue and will continue to deal with the issue according to further investigation, the company announced on its WeChat account.   

The move came shortly after street photos and videos went viral on Wednesday on Chinese social media platforms showing the official, named Hu Jiyong from the Huanqiu project management company according to the announcement, walking hand in hand with a woman on the Chunxi road in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Both of them seemed to be well dressed up and wearing pink clothes. 

The original video had been removed from social media platforms, the photographer told media on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, saying that Hu and the woman contacted him or her after the issue went viral. The photographer had also closed his or her social media account to the public, according to media reports. 

According to media reports, the woman is also an employee of the Huanqiu company, but she is not Hu's wife nor his daughter.  

Hashtags related to the issue have been viewed more than 200 million times on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo platform with heated discussions. 

Amid the controversy, the tenth central inspection team stationed at the CNPC on Wednesday had vowed to urge and supervise investigation into the issue when media required them to respond to the issue. 

Party discipline authority of the Huaqniu company also told media amid heated discussion that they are investigating the issue.

"Good! Street snap now has a new function to help crack down on corruption," a Weibo user said.   

"Hope related authorities can conduct thorough and transparent investigation into the issue," said another. 

According to open materials, the Huanqiu project management company was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CNPC established in 1995. Amid the controversy, the company reportedly had canceled its WeChat account. 

Located in the center of Chengdu, the Chunxi road is a famous commercial street known for its bustling shopping and entertainment scene, as well as its modern architecture and lively atmosphere. It became a hub of street snap for Chinese influencers, youngsters and trendsetters. 

Global Times