Tan Li, vice governor of?Hainan province, August 1, 2011. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - A senior official in Hainan province was placed under investigation for suspected corruption on Tuesday, according to the country's top anti-graft watchdog.

Tan Li, vice-governor of Hainan province and a member of the standing committee of the Communist Party of China Hainan Committee, is being investigated for suspected grave violations of discipline and law, according to a statement released on the website of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

At least 16 officials at and above provincial levels have been probed so far this year. There were 17 officials of similar levels investigated last year.

The statement gave no further details about the investigation.

Tan, 59, has worked in Southwest China's Sichuan province for 37 years before becoming publicity chief of Hainan in March 2009.

A large number of senior officials in Sichuan province have been probed since late 2012 as part of the national anti-graft campaign.

In February, Ji Wenlin, Tan's colleague who is also a vice-governor of Hainan province, was also investigated by the top anti-graft agency.

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China cracks down on graft