Nine top officials caught in the net

Government and Party leaders have been arrested in major cities in the past year.

From 2003 to October last year, a total of 67,505 government officials were punished for corruption.

More than 17,505 were prosecuted and sanctioned in the first eight months of last year alone.

Some officials arrested for corruption last year who were above the ministerial level:

1. Liu Zhihua, 58, Beijing's former vice-mayor, who was in charge of Olympic construction was sacked in June for corruption, and was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) last December.

The investigation also found that Liu's lifestyle was corrupt and depraved and he abused his power in order to contract projects for his mistress and sought large illegal profits.

2. Wang Shouye, 64, former deputy commander of the navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) was expelled from China's national legislature in June for "loose morals". He abused his power by requesting and accepting bribes.

Wang fell from power after one of his mistress turned him in. She had been in an "improper relationship" with Wang "for a long time".

3. Chen Liangyu, former secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), was sacked in September for his involvement in the misappropriation of at least a third of a 10-billion-yuan ($1.2 billion) social security fund.

The city's labor and social security department chief, a district governor and several prominent businessmen were also detained for questioning over the scandal.

4. Qiu Xiaohua, 49, former head of the National Bureau of Statistics, was removed from his post in October for his suspected involvement in the 10 billion-yuan ($1.25 billion) Shanghai social security fund fraud.

5. He Minxu, 51, former vice-governor of Anhui, was expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from office for taking bribes and abusing power.

He was found to be guilty of taking bribes worth several million yuan and offerred cheap land, tax cuts and job promotions to people who paid their way.

6. Wang Zhaoyao, 63, former deputy secretary of the Provincial Communist Party of Anhui Province, went on trial in November.

Wang is accused of taking bribes amounting to more than 7 million yuan ($893,000) and failing to account for property worth more than 8 million yuan ($1.02 million).

7. Wang Wulong, 64, former deputy chief of the provincial legislature of Jiangsu Province was dismissed in July from his government post on charges of corruption.

He allegedly took 5.35 million yuan ($668,000) and HK$200,000 from real estate developers in return for favors in land deals, according to a legislative source.

8. Du Shicheng, 56, the deputy Party secretary of Shandong Province was sacked last month and is being investigated for "serious discipline violations".

Du, has also been stripped of his post of secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong.

9. Zheng Xiaoyu, 61, former head of China's drug administration, is being investigated on suspicion of taking bribes to allow companies to get around drug approval standards.

Zheng was removed from his post in June 2005.

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