The 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) is currently holding its annual session to outline this year's anti-corruption strategies. Upholding the CPC constitution, the Party remains steadfast in its commitment to \"make comprehensive efforts\" to ensure that the fight against corruption continues relentlessly.
In a recent meeting, Chinese leadership emphasized the need to maintain a clear and unwavering stance against corruption, pledging zero tolerance for any form of corrupt practices.
For the People
According to the National Commission of Supervision (NCS), by last December, China has addressed 768,000 cases of misconduct and corruption affecting people's livelihoods since the 20th National Congress of the CPC in 2022. Out of these, 628,000 individuals have been punished, and 20,000 have been transferred to procuratorial organs.
Significant actions have been taken in critical sectors such as health, education, and rural affairs. The NCS reported that 23,000 individuals were disciplined for misappropriating funds meant for student meals, interfering in food bidding processes, and accepting kickbacks.
In the rural sector, efforts to combat corruption in the management of collective funds, assets, and resources have led to the investigation of 153,000 cases of embezzlement and illegal disposal of collective assets, resulting in the punishment of 132,000 individuals.
The medical field has also seen rigorous oversight, with around 40,000 individuals facing disciplinary actions for medical misconduct. Additionally, 2,634 cases involving serious violations have been forwarded to prosecutors for further investigation.
'Taking out the Tigers'
The anti-corruption campaign in China targets both low-level officials and high-ranking leaders. Tang Yijun, a former senior political advisor in Jiangxi Province, exemplifies the crackdown on high-ranking officials. In an anti-graft documentary aired by the China Media Group (CMG), Tang expressed deep remorse for his corrupt actions, which included accepting large sums of money and valuables in exchange for favors related to enterprise operations, job promotions, and legal case handling.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) ordered Tang's arrest for suspected bribe-taking in October 2024. Last year alone, China apprehended 58 high-ranking officials, the highest number in a decade, underscoring the scale of the campaign against corruption.
Combating Bribery
Bribery remains a central focus of China's anti-corruption efforts. Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC, the introduction of revised bribery laws and coordinated penalty mechanisms has strengthened the fight against both the giving and receiving of bribes.
As corrupt practices have evolved, becoming more sophisticated and harder to trace, China's anti-corruption agencies have enhanced collaboration with public security, taxation, and auditing departments. Leveraging advanced technologies such as big data and cloud computing, these agencies are uncovering deeply entrenched corruption networks.
In the first three quarters of 2024, anti-graft watchdogs investigated 19,000 individuals for offering bribes, with 2,972 cases being transferred to procuratorial organs for prosecution. Additionally, China has successfully secured the return of 1,306 fugitives who had fled abroad and recovered illicit assets totaling 15.4 billion yuan (approximately $2.1 billion) between January and November 2024.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
