Two government officials have not returned from visits to France, sparking speculation as to their whereabouts, media reports said.

Xin Weiming, deputy governor of Luwan district in Shanghai, left with other members on a trip to Paris during the National Day holidays.

He left a note for his colleagues that he would be remaining in Paris to "meet friends", the Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported yesterday.

The newspaper did not give the exact date of the note. Colleagues discovered that Xin had removed his hotel luggage.

A press officer with Luwan district confirmed to China Daily yesterday that Xin had not returned "because of health problems".

"No one can say he won't be back forever," the official surnamed Zhang, said.

Government officials are not allowed to remain in countries when their visits end.

In September, the Shanghai municipal government issued a rule to regulate official visits to foreign countries, including no overstaying. The rule, however, does not specify the type of punishment to be meted out.

Ta Kung Pao said the incident has shocked the municipal government, and an investigation has been launched.

The city's disciplinary department declined to comment yesterday.

A second official, Yang Xianghong, Party chief of Lucheng district, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, has also failed to return from his trip to Paris during the National Day holidays.

Yang, 52, left the group to visit his daughter, who lives in France, two days after his arrival. He told other members of his group he would be staying on because of illness.

But a member of the group said Yang did not show any signs of being ill, Oriental Outlook magazine reported.

There are rumors in Wenzhou that Yang had been questioned by disciplinary officials three days before his departure.

The Wenzhou government has since ordered all senior government officials to surrender their passports, Oriental Outlook magazine said.

In recent years, hundreds of government leaders and business people on suspicion of committing economic crimes have fled overseas.

Ministry of Public Security statistics released last year show that more than 800 people accused of embezzling about 70 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) have fled abroad, 500 of whom are still at large.

In 2003, Yang Xiuzhu, Wenzhou's vice-mayor, fled abroad to escape punishment for corruption and remains at large.

(China Daily October 23,? 2008)