Beijing, March 7 (IANS): A staggering 31,555 officials were convicted of work-related crimes in China last year, 23 percent of whom were given prison terms in excess of five years, a court official said Friday.

More than 680 held high positions (above county level) and over 10 percent of them were sentenced to at least five years, Xinhua reported citing Pei Xianding, director of the second criminal court under the Supreme People's Court.

Work-related crimes include embezzlement and bribery, dereliction of duty, infringement of citizens' personal rights and democratic rights.

The number of corrupt officials dropped slightly, perhaps as a result of the anti-corruption campaign which has been running since late 2012. Officials are no longer so free to take advantage of their positions, Pei said during a webcast interview.

More than 90 percent of the senior officials stood trials in places where they had not held positions to avoid interference, he said.

The method is crucial to smooth trials, he added.