China's anti-corruption drive hits 1.6 million cases since 2012, but challenges remain
China's top anti-corruption body reported handling 1.64 million cases of misconduct and disciplining 2.26 million people since 2012. The deputy head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said the fight against corruption has achieved overwhelming victory, but warned the situation remai
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has reported that China's anti-corruption authorities handled 1.64 million cases of misconduct and disciplined 2.26 million people since 2012, according to a press conference on the recently concluded 20th Fifth Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhang Fuhai, deputy secretary of the CCDI and deputy director of the National Supervision Commission, told reporters that during the period, anti-corruption agencies filed 8.11 million cases, meted out punishment in 7.92 million cases, and disciplined 963 senior officials at or above the level of provincial-level minister or central government minister.
Zhang said the anti-corruption drive had achieved an overwhelming victory that needed to be consolidated, but stressed that the situation remained severe and complex, with the task of eliminating the breeding ground and conditions for corruption still heavy.
The plenary session adopted a decision on persistently advancing the comprehensive governance of the party with strict discipline, which Zhang said stressed the need to firmly follow a path of fighting corruption with Chinese characteristics. The decision outlined four areas of focus: maintaining high pressure on punishing corruption, with particular attention to cases involving the intertwining of political and economic issues, collusion between business and government, and the infiltration of capital into the political sphere; strengthening checks and supervision over the exercise of power through clear, transparent and traceable systems to more scientifically and effectively put power in an institutional cage; consolidating the ideological foundation of respecting integrity and rejecting corruption, and cultivating the clean conduct of party members and officials; and enhancing the integrated effectiveness of the three-pronged approach of ensuring officials "dare not, cannot and do not want to" be corrupt, as well as improving the penetrating power of anti-corruption efforts through case-based reform and governance.
Zhang also said that further improving the party and state supervision system was a necessary requirement for persistently advancing comprehensive party governance with strict discipline. The decision's relevant measures include four main aspects: making party committees and party groups fully accountable for supervision; strengthening the coordination of disciplinary supervision, supervision by oversight bodies, supervision by dispatched teams and inspection supervision; improving the grassroots supervision system; and promoting deep integration and efficient coordination between internal party supervision and supervision from all other sectors to form a joint force.