China's anti-graft push sees 1.3 million officials punished

Leader's anti-corruption campaign targeting "tigers and flies", both high and low ranking officials, a core policy priority during his five-year term

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives to attend a tribute ceremony in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tiananmen Square, ahead of National Day marking the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, China, September 30, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee
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China's anti-graft watchdog said roughly 1.34 million lower-ranking officials have been punished since 2013 under the president Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive.

Mr Xi, who is preparing for a major Communist Party leadership conference later this month, has made an anti-graft campaign targeting "tigers and flies", both high and low ranking officials, a core policy priority during his five-year term.

China is preparing for the 19th Congress later this month, a twice-a-decade leadership event where Mr Xi is expected to consolidate power and promote his policy positions.

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Those punished for graft since 2013 include 648,000 village-level officials and most crimes were related to small scale corruption, said the central commission for discipline inspection (CCDI) on Sunday.

While much of the country's anti-graft drive has targeted lower ranking village and county officials, several high-ranking figures have been taken down.

In August the head of the anti-graft committee for China's ministry of minance was himself put under investigation for suspected corruption.

In September a senior military officer who sits on China's powerful central military commission, overseen by Mr Xi, was detained and questioned over corruption-related offences, Reuters reported.

The CCDI said 155,000 country-level party bureaux have set up corruption policing mechanisms as of August, representing 94.8 per cent of total bureaus.