BEIJING • Chinese President Xi Jinping said corruption in the country remains severe and complicated even though progress has been made in the battle against graft.

The "stubbornness and danger" of corruption cannot be underestimated, CCTV cited Mr Xi as saying.

He was speaking at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Friday.

Mr Xi vowed zero tolerance on corruption and asked senior government officials to keep themselves and their family and relatives in check.

He called for senior cadres to adhere to a moderate and clean relationship between the government and business community, urging coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the "audacity, opportunity or desire" to engage in corruption.

China's Politburo declared its anti-corruption dragnet of financial institutions a success on Friday, a potentially good sign for the US$59 trillion (S$82 trillion) financial sector, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's investigations had helped strengthen the party's leadership over the financial sector and prevented risks, the Politburo said.

BLOOMBERG