China's disciplinary agency vows to maintain strong, persistent crackdown on corruption

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

The Communist Party of China's (CPC) top disciplinary agency pledged to maintain strong and persistent crackdown on corruption in a communique released Jan. 20.

The communique was adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which was held in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the plenum and delivered an important speech.

Party and state leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the session.

The session reviewed the disciplinary work in 2021, made arrangements for tasks in 2022, and deliberated and approved a work report delivered by Zhao Leji on behalf of the CCDI standing committee.

In 2021, the CPC celebrated its centenary and reviewed its major achievements and historical experience over the past century.

In 2022, the CPC will convene its 20th national congress, which is a major event in the political life of the Party and the country, the communique said.

It urged coordination in punishing corruption, strengthening deterrence among officials, tightening institutional restrictions, and improving their political awareness to make more institutional achievements and greater progress in governance.

Discipline inspection commissions and supervision agencies should play a better role in enforcing oversight over decision implementation, the communique said.

Having the courage to reform itself distinguishes the CPC from other political parties. It is the Party's secret to avoiding the historical cycle of rise and fall and remaining vibrant after a century of struggle, the communique stressed.

POLITICAL OVERSIGHT

Political oversight should focus on several vital tasks, including deepening reform and opening-up across the board, advancing common prosperity, building strength in science and technology, and forestalling and defusing major risks, the communique noted.

The document stressed the importance of putting the spotlight on leading officials, also known as the "key few."

It called for strengthened oversight over officials in command and leadership teams, especially concerning their performance in fulfilling their responsibility to exercise strict Party self-governance in all respects, implementation of democratic centralism, and their exercise of power according to laws and regulations.

DEEPENING ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE

Calling for unswerving efforts to deepen the anti-corruption drive, the plenum stressed that no mercy will be shown to those who run or are engaged in political factions, cliques or interest groups within the Party, and strict standards will be adopted to educate, manage and supervise young officials.

Efforts will be stepped up to investigate and punish any corruption behind the runaway expansion of capital and the monopoly of platform enterprises in order to sever the connections between power and capital, and financial discipline will be strengthened, said the communique.

DEFENSE AGAINST MALPRACTICE

The communique called for continued efforts to consolidate the defense of the CPC Central Committee's eight-point decision against undesirable work practices, and to persistently address corruption and misconduct occurring on the people's doorsteps.

The practice of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism that affected the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's decisions and policies, and other practices that turned a blind eye to the people's interests or increased the burden on people at primary levels must be resolutely corrected and rectified, it said.

SOUND INSPECTION SYSTEM

The communique also urged the improvement of the discipline inspection system, where inspection authorities at different levels have sound communication and work together to ensure relevant work is conducted at a high quality and with full coverage.

Routine supervision and special inspections should both be strengthened, and the issue regarding "the latter part of the story" of addressing the problems discovered during the inspections into central-level financial institutions should be taken seriously, it said.

The document called for a comprehensive review of the inspection work conducted by the 19th CPC CCDI so that it can be reported to the Party's Central Committee.

According to the communique, the reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system should highlight an integrated system as well as coordination and efficiency to transform institutional advantages into greater governance effectiveness.

LOYAL GUARDIANS

The communique called on discipline inspection personnel to be politically strong and professionally competent, and work hard to be the loyal guardians of the Party and the people.

The plenary session stressed the need to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, promote the great founding spirit of the Party and the spirit of self-reform, and ensure that concrete progress is made by the time the 20th CPC National Congress is convened.