Relatives of several officials in Shanghai were found to be using their family connections to gain unfair business advantages, China's disciplinary watchdog said on Thursday.

A disciplinary inspection team dispatched to Shanghai by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) told the Shanghai government on Wednesday that they had received tip-offs from local officials and residents that the children and spouses of certain officials were taking advantage of their relative's authority by opening businesses in the sectors administered by their family members.

Providing feedback on an investigation that ran from July 30 to September 30, Zhang Wenyue, the head of the inspection team, said that many of the cases of corruption were discovered in local governmental bodies which administered the areas of public health, state-owned enterprises, land management, construction and scientific technology.

Some officials were also found to be providing opportunities for other people to acquire property in exchange for personal benefits, while certain low-level officials were also found to be corrupt.

The names of the officials were not released.

The CCDI inspection team urged the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee to attach immense importance to solving the problem of officials' relatives running businesses that receive unfair advantages, and to take tangible steps to stamp out graft in key sectors and government departments.

China's disciplinary watchdog's anti-corruption campaign started in late 2012 and has exposed many abuses of power by high-ranking officials. Wang Zongnan, then general manager at the State-owned Shanghai Friendship Group, was arrested in July on suspicion of taking bribes and embezzling public funds.