Over 80 officials investigated for graft

More than 80 Chinese officials have been investigated in a disciplinary inspection launched by the Communist Party of China (CPC) since last May, said the website of the CPC's flagship newspaper on Thursday.

Citing information released by the authorities, the website of the People's Daily said the investigated officials come from 13 places and various levels, including nine at vice-ministerial level and above.

Many of the officials were investigated based on clues found by inspectors, according to the report, which said that five vice ministerial-level officials were probed on these grounds.

Since May 2013, the Central Discipline and Inspection Commission(CCDI) of the CPC has run two rounds of inspections, sending high-level officials to provincial regions, ministries, state-run institutions and centrally administered state-owned enterprises.

Early this week, the CCDI announced the kick-off of the third round of nationwide discipline inspections since the CPC's leadership transition in 2012. It covers 10 provincial-level areas and four other units.

The inspections are part of the CPC's effort to crack down on rampant corruption. President Xi Jinping has vowed to go after both powerful "tigers" and lowly "flies," warning that the issue is so severe that it threatens the Party's survival.