BEIJING -- Graft busters administered disciplinary penalties to nearly 300,000 officials last year, according to the top discipline watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Among them, 200,000 officials were given light disciplinary punishments and transferred to other posts, and 82,000 were handed severe disciplinary punishments and major demotions.

Ten centrally appointed and administered officials were given severe disciplinary penalties for serious violations against the CPC code of conduct. The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection penalized them with drastic demotions.

Liu Lizu, for example, was dismissed from the post of vice chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and demoted to entry-level public servant.

The CPC discipline watchdog has been highlighting the importance of the Party code of conduct in order to spot problems earlier and prevent officials from slipping into corruption.