China investigates top provincial official Li Chuncheng for corruption

BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's Communist Party has begun a corruption inquiry into a top official in the southwestern province of Sichuan, state media reported on Wednesday, the most senior person to be investigated since Xi Jinping became the party's leader.

Sichuan's deputy party boss, Li Chuncheng, was being investigated by the party's discipline watchdog, according to several reports, including one from the official Xinhua news agency, citing the Youth Daily's online edition.

Sichuan party authorities announced the investigation on Monday and Li did not appear as scheduled at a propaganda meeting on Tuesday, the media said.

However, by early afternoon the Youth Daily and Xinhua websites had deleted their reports on Li without explanation.