Disclosure keeps people alert to graft

Some people are worried that frequent public disclosures of corruption cases may create the impression that the more the government fights corruption, the deeper corruption spreads its roots. But the public disclosures of these cases show the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. The successes of the anti-corruption campaign are achievements of the nation. However, no place should be out of bounds, no ground left unturned and no tolerance shown to corrupt officials in the fight against corruption.

Take the widely-known football corruption cases as an example. Li Tie, the former head coach of China's national men's soccer team, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Xianning Intermediate People's Court in Hubei province on Dec 13 for giving and taking bribes. Li's case and other soccer-related anti-corruption cases demonstrate the government's resolve to eradicate corruption in order to safeguard the development and advance Chinese modernization.

Though Li has made immense contributions to Chinese soccer, his greed led him to commit crimes. According to the indictment, from 2019 to 2021, Li, illegally received more than 50.89 million yuan (about $7 million) to abuse his power in matters such as player selection for the national team, match outcomes, and signing contracts with clubs.

The severe punishment for Li's crimes sends a clear warning to those who wield public power. The fight against corruption must always maintain high pressure on corrupt officials, attach importance to facts and abide by the law, leaving no room for corrupt practices.

The authorities have shown the determination to take painful measures to eradicate corruption. And the investigation against some corrupt soccer officials reflects the deepening fight against corruption in key areas. Their crimes reflect the deterioration of the political ecology and the spread of systemic corruption in the field of soccer.

The criminal sentencing of more than 10 former national soccer officials shows the authorities have to make tough decisions to achieve success in the campaign against corruption by identifying and addressing the problems responsible for the proliferation of corruption. Hence, the government needs to continuously investigate both typical and influential cases, and use these cases to promote reform, improve people's legal awareness and professional ethics and promote the healthy development of Chinese soccer.

The soccer corruption cases show how influential officials use power as a tool for personal gain. Since absolute power corrupts absolutely, the authorities need to take measures to ensure that power comes with responsibility and people who abuse power are held accountable. In this regard, the investigation against and sentencing of corrupt soccer officials are an apt example of how power can be put in an institutional cage.

The lack of proper resource allocation mechanisms and supervision is an important reason for the proliferation of corruption. And the widespread corruption in the field of soccer shows the use of power has to be supervised and the mechanisms to find and address problems optimized. The public disclosure of corruption cases also serves as a reminder to individuals, particularly officials and entrepreneurs, to uphold professional ethics and comply with the law.

Over the past decade, China has sustained the anti-corruption campaign, marked by investigations against a record number of high-ranking officials and their broad impact on various sectors of society.

China's pursuit of national rejuvenation has reached a critical phase, where corruption will have a massive impact on the country's politics, economy and society. Corruption leads to the abuse of power, and can undermine democracy and rule of law. It can also lead to unfair allocation of resources and disrupt the market order, even trigger social conflict.

Hence, the joint efforts of the whole of society are needed to eliminate the soil breeding corruption.

The author is director of the China Anti-Corruption Judicial Research Center, China Against Corruption Law Association, and dean of the Discipline Inspection Institute, Xiangtan University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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