TAIYUAN, Oct. 15 -- The Party secretary of Datong City in north China's Shanxi Province is being investigated for "suspected severe violations of Party disciplines," the provincial discipline watchdog said on 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.

Shanxi's economy surged during China's investment binge in the last decade.