668,000 punished for discipline violations

BEIJING - More than 668,000 Party members and government officials have been punished for violating rules over the last five years, according to an official statement Monday.

The country's disciplinary authorities have investigated 643,000 cases and concluded 639,000 of them between November 2007 and June this year, said a statement from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision.

Authorities nationwide received more than 6.6 million reports and petitions in regard to violations during this period, the statement said.

In the last five years, a total of 1.58 billion yuan ($250.3 million) in illegal gains has been confiscated. These are from illegal transactions that took place in the country's state-owned enterprises, government-sponsored institutions and relevant government agencies.

Disciplinary watchdogs have investigated and solved a series of major cases. These include cases involving former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun and former Shenzhen mayor Xu Zongheng as well as several other senior officials, the statement said.

The arrest of officials and criminal suspects who have fled abroad, including the repatriation of smuggling ring boss Lai Changxing from Canada to China after 12 years at large, has deterred many fugitive criminals, the statement said.