BEIJING - Discipline watchdogs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) across the country punished 85,000 officials in the first quarter of this year, including 14 at the provincial and ministerial level, according to the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

In addition to the 14 officials, more than 400 officials at the prefecture level and more than 3,500 at the county level were punished, according to figures posted Tuesday on the CCDI's website.