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It is the biggest building in the world; 16 Wembley stadiums could fit underneath its vast roof.

But the New Century Global Centre, a behemoth in the central city of Chengdu which formally opened at the end of last month, has instantly become China’s largest and most embarrassing monument to the allegations of corruption that have wormed through the Communist Party.

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The 50-year-old billionaire behind the project, Deng Hong, once one of China’s richest men, has vanished and is thought to be in police custody. “We don’t know where he is,” a spokesman for his company, Entertainment and Travel Group (ETG) said.

In his wake, more than 50 government officials have been detained by a series of overlapping investigations that reach to the highest level of the party, according to a former editor of a state newspaper. “There are more investigations, and more arrests, to come,” the editor added.

Another source with connections to the local government said: “Deng Hong had ties to almost every official in Sichuan.”