The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection said on Sunday that 30,629 rural grassroots cadres were punished for disciplinary or legal violations by discipline inspection and supervision bodies at all levels from November 2007 through October 2008.

It said the figure represented an obvious achievement of China's efforts in promoting clean rural government since the opening of the CPC's 17th party congress in October 2007.

The penalties involved 29,500 cases and avoided the losses of 418 million yuan (about 61.3 million U.S. dollars).

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2009)