(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-16 07:06

President Hu Jintao Tuesday pledged to step up the nation's anti-corruption campaign.

Delivering a keynote speech at a high-profile plenum of the Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog, he called on all Party members to be fully familiar with the anti-corruption campaign, which is "long, complicated and arduous".

Related readings:  Watchdogs establish corruption analysis offices  'Inflation' beats 'corruption' to top of public concerns  CPC offical warns on staying vigilant against corruption  Tackling corruption  Anti-corruption fight 'more prominent'on Party agenda

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the CPC.

The session was presided over by He Guoqiang, head of the CCDI.

Anti-corruption measures and the upholding of integrity should be part of the nation's economic, political and cultural makeup and the Party's work style and ideological, organizational and institutional building, Hu said.

He noted that Party has always given priority to the anti-corruption drive, and has always been clear-minded and consistent in its attitude toward the problem.

He pointed out that punishment and prevention should be put on an equal footing in the anti-corruption war, and "symptoms and root causes should be addressed at the same time".

The Party should continue to work on investigating corruption cases, boost prevention, remove the "breeding ground of corruption", and punish crooked officials in line with the law.

Education, supervision and punishment should be combined to create a better atmosphere, system and legal base for the fight against corruption, Hu said.

The Party must seriously deal with major corruption cases that greatly infringe upon public interests, he added.

Party committees at all levels should take responsibility in the anti-corruption battle and the role of anti-graft bodies should be given full play.

The establishment of the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention (NBCP) last September is a clear indication that the country's anti-graft effort had shifted from penalties and crackdowns to a comprehensive approach, he said.

The NBCP enjoys the right to collect and analyze information from sources, including banks and land records, and share it with prosecutors, courts and police, according to a statement issued upon its founding.