Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said Wednesday, the latest official to fall in a sweeping crackdown on graft in the country's military.Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation,

If confirmed, Dong would be the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defence minister to be investigated for alleged corruption.

China's industrial profits dropped by 10% in October from a year ago, in another sign that Beijing's stimulus measures have yet to reverse a slump in corporate earnings. That followed a 27.1% year-on-year decline in September,

China's industrial profits fell again in October but less sharply than in September, official data showed on Wednesday, as demand remained soft in the crisis-hit $19 trillion economy. Businesses are struggling to stay profitable in the face of a years-long property crisis,

Chinese authorities have introduced a series of stimulus measures to boost economic growth and shore up market confidence, including cutting interest rates and injecting liquidity into the financial system.