BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese authorities have begun a graft probe into the mayor of the major northern Chinese city of Jinan, the ruling Communist Party announced on Wednesday (April 6), the latest senior official caught up in a sweeping corruption crackdown.

Mr Yang Luyu was being investigated for "suspected serious disciplinary violations", a euphemism commonly used for corruption, the ruling Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement.

Mr Yang, 59, was appointed Jinan mayor in 2012, according to his official resume. The city is the provincial capital of Shandong province.

The statement gave no other details about Mr Yang's suspected crimes. It was not possible to reach Mr Yang for comment and it was unclear whether he had retained a lawyer.

Mr Yang is the second senior Jinan official to fall under suspicion. Jinan's Communist Party boss Wang Min was put under investigation in December for suspected serious breaches of law and discipline.

Shandong is a major cotton and wheat producer and a top destination for Japanese and South Korean investment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that rampant corruption threatens the survival of the Communist Party and his anti-corruption campaign has brought down scores of top officials in the party, the government, the military and state-owned companies.