Supervision to be strengthened

President calls for improving national system to help solidify anti-graft work

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for intensified reform of the national supervision system to improve law-based and procedure-based anti-graft work.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the call while presiding over the group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Deepening reform of the supervision system is an important step in implementing the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, as well as improving supervision of the Party and the nation, to advance the modernization of State governance, Xi said.

Reform of the national supervision system is conducive to fighting corruption under the central and unified leadership of the Party, and helps with full oversight of the exercise of public power, Xi said.

He called for improving the system, establishing effective mechanisms for checking power and maintaining a strict system of accountability, to ensure that supervision covers everyone working in the public sector who exercises public power.

The purpose of supervising the exercise of public authority is to ensure that Party and government officials fulfill their duties, Xi said, adding that misconduct or negligence of duty must be prevented through the supervisory system. Those who have been falsely charged or framed while fulfilling their duties should be protected, he added.

Reform of the national supervision system has made headway since the 19th CPC National Congress, he said.

The congress decided to establish supervisory commissions at the national, provincial, prefectural and county levels that work together with the Party’s disciplinary inspection commissions as one office. That ensures that supervision covers everyone who exercises public power.

The National Supervision Law was adopted by the National People’s Congress in March.

Since the 19th CPC National Congress, over 70 senior officials have been investigated by the National Supervisory Commission, while from January to September, around 406,000 officials involved in 464,000 cases that were investigated have been punished, according to the commission.

A statement released after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday said that the nation’s anti-graft efforts have produced an overwhelming victory and full, strict governance over the Party has made significant progress.

However, the anti-corruption fight remains challenging and complex, and strict governance over the Party remains a long and arduous task, meeting participants said, stressing that strict discipline must be adhered to on a long-term basis.

At the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi vowed to fight graft, saying, “No place has been out of bounds, no ground left unturned and no tolerance shown in the fight against corruption.”