Anti-corruption: From Overwhelming Momentum to Sweeping Victory

By Li Yongzhong

Five years ago, the newly-elected General Secretary Xi Jinping could see a worsening problem of corruption. Five years later, Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 19^th CPC National Congress that “The anti-corruption campaign has built into a crushing tide, is being consolidated, and continues to develop” . A new era beckons for the campaign.

Xi Jinping said in his report that:” No place has been out of bounds, no ground left unturned, and no tolerance shown in the fight against corruption. We have taken firm action to ‘take our tigers’, ‘swap flies’, and ‘hunt down foxes.” “The goal of creating a deterrent against corruption has been initially attained; the cage of institutions that prevents corruption has been strengthened; and moral defenses against corruption are in the making.”  The anti-corruption campaign has been one of the hottest issues and a key focus in these five years.

An Overwhelming Momentum

The momentum of the campaign manifests itself in three ways:

First, the goal of creating a deterrent against corruption has been initially attained.

This result has been achieved by a strict and unremitting anti-corruption campaign. According to data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), more than 280 officials at or above ministerial and provincial level, more than 8600 officials at city level, and more than 66,000 officials at county level have been investigated.

By the end of June this year more than 2.36 million pieces of evidence to possible corruption had been examined, more than 1.4 million cases had been filed, more than 1.4 million officials had been sanctioned, and cases involving nearly 54,000 officials had been transferred to judicial organs for handling.

By the end of July this year; more than 180,000 cases involving breaches of the central Party leadership’s Eight-point Rule on improving Party and government conduct had been investigated, involving more than 240,000 officials.

Between 2012 and June this year, more than 1.4 million officials were sanctioned, with an annual average punishment rate of 3.5‰ (which was usually 1.5‰~1.7‰ before 2012). On average, every day 859 officials were sanctioned, 33 officials were sent to prison, 143 officials were investigated for infringements of the eight-point decision; and on average every month 5 officials at and above ministerial and provincial level, 159 officials at city level, and 1222 officials at county level were investigated. Under such strict execution of discipline and such a rigorous anti-corruption campaign, the increase in corruption has been effectively curbed. The number of corruption cases is now falling, and the initial goal of creating an effective deterrent to corruption has been attained.

Second, the cage of institutions that prevents corruption has been strengthened.

1. Amendment of related laws and regulations. Since the opening of the 18^th National Congress, more than 80 Party rules has been amended, mainly focused on the two guiding principles concerning integrity and self-discipline and inner party political life, and four regulations regarding on-site inspection visits, disciplinary actions, the accountability system, and supervision.
2. Sending more discipline inspection teams to the Party organizations and bodies. Under the support of the Central Committee of the CPC, the CCDI has set up 47 discipline inspection teams by integrating and activating its resources and adjusting its structures. Among all the teams, 20 have been accredited to the Party organs as stationed individual teams, while the other 27 teams take charge of the supervision of 139 governments’ departments.
3. Making the most of external supervision. During these five years, the CCDI has carried out 12 rounds of on-site inspections covering 277 Party organizations, re-inspected 16 provinces and municipalities, and carried out mobile on-site inspections of 4 central government departments. The CCDI has fulfilled its promise to implement full-coverage discipline inspection.

Third, moral defenses against corruption are in the making.

After the Sixth Plenary Session, the 18^th CPC Central Committee announced in early November 2016 the Pilot Program for Supervisory System Reform in Beijing Municipality, and Provinces of Shanxi and Zhejiang published by the General Office of the Communist Party of China – a vital and comprehensive political system reform. It was a comprehensive reform because it involved amendments to the Party Constitution, the law and the national Constitution; implemented in these three provinces and municipalities, the pilot reform also showed the determination and strength of the Central Committee of the CPC in carrying out political reform.

The Next Step in the Anti-corruption Campaign

Regarding the report of the 19^th CPC National Congress, I think the next step of anti-corruption campaign will emphasize the following three points:

1. Focus on the duration. Focus on those who have been corrupt for a long time without restraint, so as to highlight the targeted and flexible features of the policy and its implementation;
2. Focus on the nature of the cases. Put emphasis on the cases that most evidence points to and the cases that are of most concern to the people;
3. Focus on the upper echelons. Put emphasis on those who are still occupying important positions and in a position to be promoted in the Party, so as to eradicate hidden perils.

The anti-corruption campaign has attained significant results because of three factors:

First, it is systematic – ensuring Comprehensive and Strict Party Governance was included in the Four-Pronged Strategy; Second, it is creative – applying question-oriented strategy and using the campaign as a sharp sword to change the situation so as to set up integrated and clean government;

Third, it is effective – The Central Committee of the CPC shoulders the main responsibility of anti-corruption campaign while the CCDI takes charge of supervision. At the same time, on-site inspection has covered the whole range while the three provinces and municipalities have started pilot political reform.

Following the spirit of the 19^th CPC National Congress should start from the perspective of the Four-pronged Strategy, and actions should be taken under the guidance of Comprehensive and Strict Party Governance. Promoting anti-corruption legislation and the creation of an offence reporting platform that covers the supervision of the whole CCDI system will not only elevate the legal status of the fight against -corruption, but will also prevent the phenomenon of “darkness under light” in which ineffective supervision becomes the shelter for corruption. Deterring corruption calls for a robust law and regulation system and the reform of the power structure; enhancing the moral defenses against corruption requires better self-discipline through education, but external management by laws and education is even more important.

The report of the 19^th CPC National Congress told us that the anti-corruption campaign has built overwhelming momentum, but this does not mean a sweeping victory. As the Chinese saying goes “the last leg of a journey is marked by the half way point.” The anti-corruption campaign will continue.

Source: China Report

By Li Yongzhong, former vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Discipline Inspection and Supervision