The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s discipline watchdog has brought "government officials' collusion with the businesspeople" to the front line in its battle against corruption.

Government officials are urged to improve their ideology, work ethics and lifestyles.

The central government has noticed that behind each corrupt official lurks a business big-shot. Some media reports have accused local officials of "finding a sugar daddy".

China's anti-graft fight last year led to the downfall of several senior officials, including Shanghai ex-party chief Chen Liangyu - the highest ranking official to fall in a corruption scandal in a decade - Beijing Vice Mayor Liu Zhihua.

All of them had been found in cahoots with private businesses and their "intimate relationships" severely damaged public interests.

The latest high-level official to be investigated for graft is Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of China's drug administration. He is said to have been implicated in a string of bribery cases before he left the post in June 2005.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the CPC has criticized some government officials for remaining detached from the general public and seldom addressing the needs of the people. However, officials still choose to make frequent visits to businesspeople to carry out a power and money exchange.

The CCDI has vowed to step up measures to punish officials who abuse their position to attain benefits for their spouses, children and relatives and sever the connection between officials and businesspeople.

A total of 3,128 corruption cases directly involving government employees and 968 million yuan (US$121 million) were uncovered between August 2005 and June 2006, the CCDI said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)