Under president Xi Jinping, the government has put emphasis on the fight against corruption, which remains a problem for the country.

The Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the watchdog for anti-corruption, said on Sunday its work in 2019 would focus on areas related to “the people’s livelihood”, Reuters reported.

The efforts would lead to “a greater sense of achievement, greater happiness and greater security”, the watchdog added.

It said it would crack down on fraud in education, medical care, environmental protection agencies, and other major areas of concern to the public.

It said it would also focus on corruption and criminal behaviour among government departments, and tackle bribery, abuse of power, negligence and malpractice in the financial sector.

China punished around 621,000 people for corruption last year, including 51 at the ministerial or provincial level or higher, according to the official China Daily.