BEIJING (REUTERS) - Chinese authorities are investigating a former deputy Communist Party official in Beijing for suspected corruption, China's top prosecutor said on Monday (Jan 18).

Mr Lu Xiwen is under investigation on suspicion of taking bribes and has been placed "under coercive measures", a term that usually means detention in China, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement on its website.

He is head of the city's party school, which trains officials.

Last November, he was sacked after being accused by the ruling Communist Party of suspected "serious breaches of discipline", the usual euphemism for corruption.

The government has given no other details about the case and it was not possible to reach Mr Lu for comment.

President Xi Jinping has embarked on a massive campaign to root out deeply ingrained corruption since assuming office three years ago, warning, like others before, that the problem is so bad it could affect the party's grip on power.