CHINA’S top anti-corruption body is expanding probes into State-owned institutions by including the central bank, State-owned banks and securities regulators, it said Friday.

    The latest round of inspections, which have targeted State-owned enterprises, come as part of a sprawling anti-graft campaign by President Xi Jinping in sectors ranging from energy to financial institutions.

    Anti-graft inspectors will look into the country’s two stock exchanges, as well as China Banking Regulatory Commission, China Insurance Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission and China Investment Corp. sovereign fund, according to a statement posted on the anti-corruption body’s website.

    Financial institutions targeted include CITIC Group as well as State-owned Bank of China Ltd. and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

    Two of the country’s top insurers, China Life and the People’s Insurance Company of China will also be inspected, the graft regulator said.

    China’s financial regulators have been under heavy pressure since the stock market began to tumble in mid-June after a long bull run, though the statement made no mention of that.

    (SD-Agencies)