The government has cracked down on

The government has cracked down on official corruption and extravagance in China since the appointment last year of President Xi Jinping, who has said widespread graft threatens the Party's survival.

An indication of the suddenness of Rui's detention, a second microphone appeared on the set of Friday night's "Economic News" broadcast, though it was anchored only by Rui's co-host, reported the financial news site Caixin.com.

"Rui Chenggang was directly taken away from CCTV by authorities last night (Friday) and no notice was given at the time to the programme," Caixin cited an unnamed CCTV employee as saying.

Rui, 36, is one of China's most prominent business journalists, whose strong nationalist stances and controversial remarks have helped make him a celebrity.

His prominence in China grew in 2007, after his comments on a Starbucks located in Beijing's ancient Forbidden City helped spur a public outcry that led the coffee chain to close the branch.

Rui's Twitter-like Sina microblog, on which he has more than 10 million followers, was still accessible today and some CCTV web pages still contained his biographical details. He was still listed as the host on the website of his second show, Global Connection.

CCTV could not be immediately reached for comment.

The network is viewed by the government as an enormously influential and useful propaganda tool abroad, and at home where Beijing keeps a tight rein on domestic media.

CCTV has also come under criticism in recent years for some poorly conceived or sourced programmes.

Critics have long pointed to corruption within the ranks at state media, arguing blackmail is widespread and that journalists are susceptible to bribery. – Reuters, July 13, 2014.