Nearly 5,000 officials were punished for squandering public funds in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Supervision (MOS).

The government took disciplinary action ranging from warnings to dismissal against 4,866 officials from the Communist Party of China and government bodies, after an investigation found their use of funds violated rules.

The joint investigation of officials suspected of using public funds for banquets, overseas tours, luxury cars or entertainment was launched earlier this year by the MOS, the Ministry of Finance, National Office of Audit, Government Offices Administration of the State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier this month, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Party's graft buster, slammed officials at a local procuratorate for taking an overseas tour on taxpayers' money.

Xu Wenai, vice procurator-general of East China's Anhui Province, was removed from his post for wasting public funds on the trip to Finland.

A delegation of 10 people from the procuratorate headed by Xu was found to have fabricated an invitation from the Finnish government in November 2006.

The CCDI investigation found the delegation also tampered with business travel routes, adding a number of destination countries.

The incident caused a nationwide stir, with many provinces considering tighter regulations to screen officials who plan to take overseas trips for international conferences or study.

The central authorities have urged government at all levels to implement the country's anti-corruption policies and called on all Chinese officials to avoid wasting public funds.

Xinhua-China Daily