Editor's note: The Communist Party of China has taken unprecedented measures to root out corruption since new leadership was elected in November 2012.

At least 17 senior officials were investigated or dismissed in 2013 by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, the country's top anti-graft watch-dog.

Li Chongxi, 62, chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was placed under investigation on Dec 29.

Li was the province's top anti-graft official from 2002 to 2007. He worked in the provincial anti-corruption agency from 1982 to 1995.

Yang Gang, 60, deputy director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the National Committee of the CPPCC, was placed under investigation on Dec 27.

Yang worked in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region for 41 years. He was Party secretary of the region's capital city Urumqi from 1999 to 2006 and deputy Party chief of the autonomous region from November 2006 to December 2010.

Li Dongsheng, 58, vice-minister of public security, was placed under investigation on Dec 20.

Li is a member of the 18th CPC Central Committee. There are 205 members, mostly officials at or above ministerial level, on the committee. There were nine incumbent vice-ministers of public security, and Li ranked No 2.

Tong Mingqian, 55, vice-chairman of Central China's Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, was placed under investigation on Dec 19.

Chen Anzhong, 59, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress, was placed under investigation on Dec 6.

Guo Youming, 57, vice-governor of Central China's Hubei province, was placed under investigation on Nov 27.

Chen Baihuai, 63, former vice-chairman of Central China's Hubei Provincial Committee of CPPCC, was placed under investigation on November.

Liao Shaohua, 53, a Standing Committee member of the Party Committee of Southwest China's Guizhou province and also Party secretary of Zunyi city in Guizhou, was placed under investigation on Oct 28.

Ji Jianye, 56, mayor of Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, was placed under investigation on Oct 17.

Jiang Jiemin, 58, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, was placed under investigation on Sept 1.

Li Daqiu, 60, vice-chairman of the Guangxi Committee of the CPPCC and chairman of the Guangxi Federation of Trade Unions, was placed under investigation on July 6.

Wang Suyi, 52, head of the United Front Work Department of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was placed under investigation on June 30.

Guo Yongxiang, 64, chairman of Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, was placed under investigation on June 23.

Ni Fake, 59, former vice-governor of East China's Anhui province, was placed under investigation on June 4.

Liu Tienan, 59, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, was placed under investigation on May 12.

Zhou Zhenhong, 56, former member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and head of the province's United Front Work Department, was placed under investigation on Feb 8.

Yi Junqing, 55, director of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was removed from his post for "improper lifestyle" on Jan 17.

(China Daily USA 01/20/2014 page5)