BEIJING -- A total of 4,885 military officials were punished for disciplinary offenses in 2016, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flagship newspaper reported Monday.

The PLA Daily said in a commentary that the graft cases of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, both former senior military officials convicted for corruption, had caused tremendous problems in the army.

"The negative impact of Guo and Xu's cases should be fully eradicated, and the combat capacity of the army should be continuously enhanced," it said. "All military members should learn lessons from these cases and bear in mind that loyalty to the Communist Party of China is vital to PLA development."

Last year, military discipline watchdogs handled 445 graft cases, creating crushing momentum for clean governance in the PLA, the commentary said.

The paper also called for strict scrutiny in personnel work, especially in the promotion and selection of military cadres.

"Malpractice, including spreading political rumors, reckless comments on the Party's theories and policies, and participation of illegal associations should all be prohibited and punished," the article said.

The commentary urged servicemen not to be distracted, and concentrate on building a strong military and maintaining a high degree of focus in combat training.