BEIJING - Chinese central authorities have begun a new round of nationwide discipline inspections to uncover corruption.

The inspection, the third round since the Communist Party of China's (CPC) new leaders were elected late in 2012, will carry out regular inspections in 10 provincial-level areas including Beijing, Tianjin and Xinjiang, the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said Tuesday.

Different from the two previous rounds, inspections will be conducted in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai-based Fudan University, and China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation.

The inspection aims to uncover corruption and inappropriate working practices and will check on implementation of socialist democracy and other policies.

The CPC began routinely sending teams to oversee the performance of officials in 2003, and the practice was formally written into the Party's Constitution five years later.

During the two inspections since last May, inspectors uncovered a number of corrupt officials.