HANGZHOU, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A migrant worker in east China's Zhejiang Province had beat his 11-year-old daughter to death for copying her classmate's homework, local police said.

The father, surnamed Zhang, ordered the girl to kneel down, tied her hands and beat her at about 8:30 p.m. Monday when he discovered she had copied her classmate's homework multiple times, according to the police.

He sent the girl to hospital when she stopped breathing. She died at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Physical punishment of children is common in China, especially in rural areas as parents pin high hopes on their children's academic achievements.