Editor's note: China's top anti-graft watchdog is in the midst of a corruption fight that began in November 2012 when the Communist Party of China elected its new leadership.

Special: China cracks down on graft

China Daily has selected 10 key words to summarize the anti-graft works of the first half of the year.

Adultery

The explicit wording of the accusation was introduced in early June by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to replace the ambiguous wording of charges such as "moral corruption" against officials who have had extramarital affairs. On June 5, Dai Chunning, a deputy general manager with the China Export and Credit Insurance Corp, was stripped of his Party membership on allegations of bribery and adultery.

As of July 19, at least 13 officials, including seven senior leaders directly investigated by the CCDI, have been investigated on allegations that include adultery.

Secretary gang

The phrase became popular after the CCDI announced it levied punishments on July 2 against three senior officials: Ji Wenlin, former deputy governor of Hainan province; Yu Gang, former deputy head of the general office of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee; and Tan Hong, former senior officer in the guard bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. All three had formerly served as secretaries for a senior security official.

At lease five secretaries who had worked under the former security official have been brought up on corruption charges since 2013.

Energy

At least five bureau-level officials with the National Energy Administration have been accused of corruption in the first half of the year. A number of local energy officials and senior managers at State-owned natural resources enterprises have also been placed under investigation.

Wei Pengyuan, a deputy director of the coal department of the National Energy Administration, was investigated in May. Anti-graft officers found almost 100 million yuan ($16 million) in cash at his home.

Black sheep

On May 9, the CCDI launched an investigation into Wei Jian, director of the No 4 discipline inspection office, marking the top anti-graft watchdog's first announcement of a probe against a CCDI official.

In March, the CCDI underwent reforms and set up a new department to probe corruption cases on anti-graft officers. At lease seven disciplinary officials across the nation have been probed through the first half of the year.

University corruption

At least 20 university officials have been investigated or punished by disciplinary authorities in the first half of the year. Many of them were investigated on allegations of accepting bribes.

On March 19, judicial authorities opened an investigation into An Xiaoyu, former vice-president of Sichuan University, for suspected grave violations of the law.

Lower level corrupt officials with big appetite

Many lower level officials, including leaders of villages, have committed serious acts of corruption, according to CCDI inspection teams dispatched to Beijing and Tianjin from March to May.

Corruption committed by lower level officials has been frequently uncovered in recent years. Gu Xiangling, a former official of the urban planning bureau in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, accumulated 115 million yuan in cash and assets over 12 years through illegal means. He received life in prison in late 2012.