BEIJING - A NUMBER of Chinese legislators and officials were removed on Tuesday, state media said, with reports suggesting at least three had been involved in corruption and other forms of economic crime.

Meeting on the last day of a bi-monthly session, lawmakers voted to remove Zhu Zhigang from his post at the head of parliament's budget work committee, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Xinhua said earlier that Zhu, a 58-year-old former vice finance minister, was under investigation for helping close relatives buy property at discounted prices.

Legislators also expelled two deputies, both ranking businesspeople, for offering bribes and for unspecified fraud, respectively, Xinhua said.

In addition, legislators removed Huang Songyou as vice president of the Supreme People's Court, Xinhua said, without providing a reason.

Corruption has long been a source of intense public discontent in China, pushing the government and the ruling Communist Party to adopt strong measures to defend their legitimacy.

Nevertheless, corruption remains rampant in all levels of society. -- AFP