The committee quickly released a brief statement later that night, saying authorities were aware of the allegations made in the letter and that an investigation team would be immediately set up.

Meanwhile, Xinhua yesterday confirmed an earlier report by the that Liang Daoxing , 63, director general of the 2011 Universiade Executive Office and a former deputy mayor of Shenzhen, was under investigation by the graft watchdog for "serious violation of party discipline" which usually refers to corruption. No details were given about the probe by the government, but it is widely believed to be linked with the expenses of the Universiade Games.

Corruption among officials was a dominant topic at the recently concluded party congress.

The new chief of the anti-graft watchdog, Wang Qishan , met academics on Friday in Beijing, and asked for ideas about how to better tackle the problem.

According to Xinhua, Wang said disciplinary bodies at all levels would be steadfast in targeting officials who bent the law for their own personal gain. One scholar urged Wang to require all party cadres to publicly state their assets, instead of making only an internal declaration.

The inquiry into Zhou's finances emerged after citizens posted claims online about properties they believed belonged to corrupt officials, making it the fourth case of its kind in two months.

A senior village official in Shenzhen, Zhou Weisi , was suspended from his post on Tuesday and is under investigation after a handful of people accused him of owning assets worth more than 2 billion yuan in an open letter that appeared online on November 25.