China Investigates Deputy Head of Aviation Body: Graft Watchdog

The deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is being investigated for alleged disciplinary violations, the ruling Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog said on Tuesday.

The CAAC's Zhou Laizhen is "suspected of serious violations of discipline", the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a one-line statement on its website. It did not give further details.

A CAAC spokeswoman contacted by Reuters said she was not aware of the situation.

China's far-reaching crackdown on graft has already swept through several industries and seen the arrest and imprisonment of senior politicians and executives.

Last week, state prosecutors announced that they had ordered the arrest of Liu Xian, former deputy general manager of China Southern Airlines. The firm's chairman Si Xianmin is also under investigation for "discipline violations".

Zhou of CAAC would be the most senior aviation industry official to be investigated by China's anti-corruption watchdog.