2016年CRI Anti-graft Authority Investigating the Sichuan Governor Case（在线收听）

Wei Hong, the governor of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, was absent from key provincial meetings towards the end of last month.

And there were rumors circulating online saying that Wei Hong was not contactable for some reason.

At the news conference, Wu Yuliang, vice chief of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, confirmed that 61-year-old Wei was now under investigation.

"To be frank, Comrade Wei Hong is suspected of serious discipline violations, and he is reflecting on his errors. For the next step, his case will be handled according to the seriousness of the violations."

Meanwhile, officials have also revealed that China is in contact with the United States over a case involving Ling Wancheng, who fled to the country last year.

Ling Wancheng, also called Wang Cheng, is the youngest brother of high-level official Ling Jihua, who was put under investigation in July on suspicion of bribery.

Recently, there's been media speculation that the CPC would have to deal with corruption as a structural problem.

But, senior discipline official Wu Yuliang shrugs off that concern, saying there is no "structural corruption" within the party.

"I said we have punished over 330,000 officials, which seems to be an amazing number. But think of the denominator of 87 million party members, 330,000 is really a small part. In addition, among them over 200,000 were punished because of violating the Party's discipline, the ratio of which is even smaller."

The latest official stats confirm that China has investigated 330 thousand cases of graft or frugality violation in 2015, with 336 thousand officials punished.

The number has hit a record high since the reform and opening-up drive began.

When asked about whether such a large-scale campaign could have a negative impact on the Chinese economy, Chen Xiaojiang with the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said it was actually conducive to the market economy.

"The drive to combat corruption and eliminate the barriers hindering the operation of market mechanism so as to give full play to the decisive role of the market is in fact conducive for the Chinese economy to grow in a more sustainable and healthy way."

The news conference came as the anti-graft body's annual plenary meeting concluded in Beijing on Thursday.

In a communique issued after the meeting, the authorities pledged no let-up in the anti-corruption drive.

For CRI, I am Wang Mengzhen.