Chen Qiufa, governor of Liaoning province, has for the first time admitted that the province was involved in submitting falsified financial data at city and county levels from 2011 to 2014.

Chen, while delivering the annual government work report to the provincial legislature on Tuesday, cited a document from the National Audit Office, stating: "Liaoning was involved in large-scale financial deception at city and county levels, which lasted a long time and involved many people."

"It not only misled the central government's judgment and decision-making, but also affected the local people's livelihoods in terms of fiscal transfer," the document said.