The Chinese government is fully committed to fighting corruption and working vigorously to prevent it, President Hu Jintao said yesterday.

"We treat the fight against corruption as a priority and a pressing task that has great influence on the overall development of the country, the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, equality, justice, social harmony and stability," he said.

China's strategy in building a clean government is to address both the symptoms and the root cause, and combine punitive and preventative measures, focusing on prevention, Hu said.

"In this way, we can take measures to prevent corruption, including investigation, prosecution, trial and conviction, and punish criminals severely for corruption," he said.

"We are stepping up efforts to improve the rule of law and create a culture of clean and honest government, while strengthening supervision of power."

Hu said China is trying to stop corruption at its source through reform, eliminate the breeding ground for corruption and develop an effective anti-corruption mechanism that people will support and participate in.

He made the remarks in Beijing at the opening of the First Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities which will end on Thursday.

In Shanghai, authorities on Friday notified Fuxi Investment Holdings Co of the arrest of its chairman, Zhang Rongkun, for alleged involvement in the city's social security fund scandal.

Zhang, once one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs on China's mainland, is the first person formally arrested over the scandal.

The company said in August that Zhang was assisting the investigations.

Forbes magazine last year ranked Zhang, 33, the 16th richest man on China's mainland with a fortune of US$605 million.

The case involves more than a dozen officials and executives and reportedly involves diversion of hundreds of millions of dollars in pension and housing funds into risky real-estate and toll-road investments.

Last month, Chen Liangyu, secretary of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China, was sacked over the scandal.

Qiu Xiaohua, former head of China's National Bureau of Statistics, is the latest senior official found to have "seriously violated disciplines" in the Shanghai social security fund fraud, bureau spokesman Li Xiaochao said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Standing Committee of Anhui Provincial People's Congress announced yesterday it has suspended former Vice Governor He Minxu from the legislature.

He, 51, was sacked as vice governor of the eastern province on August 25, allegedly for economic problems.

The Standing Committee also announced yesterday it has suspended from the legislature Zhang Shufang, former board chairman of Anhui Lubao Real Estate Corporation.

Editor: Yan