More than 10,000 government officials were held liable by 11 provincial-level and 18 major city governments in the first half of 2006 amid a national move against lax administrative law enforcement, said an official of the Communist Party of China Thursday at a news conference.

Gan Yisheng, secretary-general and spokesman of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, said the officials were all involved in administrative law enforcement cases and failed to perform their due duties accordingly.

In the half year, Gan said, the commission had enhanced and improved its supervision over the operation of the administrative and other power, which has significantly helped exercise its supervision function.

"China is now pushing forward its anti-corruption work in an in-depth way and seeks to prevent corruption from the root," said Gan, also deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

He said that reforms to this end are carried out in such sectors as personnel, judicial, administrative, fiscal and tax, investment and finance.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2006)