CPC vows penalties for excessive spending

BEIJING - The disciplinary arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a communique on Wednesday, vowing severe penalties for lavish banquets and tours fueled by public funds amid continued pressure against corruption.

CPC members should "be frugal and shun extravagance and waste," said a communique released after the plenary meeting of the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) held from Monday to Tuesday.

Authorities should strictly manage the construction of office buildings and reception venues for CPC or government organs, as well as standardize the use of vehicles and officials' overseas trips, it added.

The CCDI will also supervise officials at various levels in order to eliminate ostentatious and bureaucratic meetings and reports, it added.

The CCDI will faithfully carry out bureaucracy and formalism-fighting guidelines introduced at a December 4 meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the communique said.

The commission will set down rules to ensure the proper use of the guidelines and punish violators, the communique said, adding that tips from the public will be handled earnestly.

Party members should "work hard on improving their work style, stay in close touch with the people and resolutely curb hedonism and extravagance," the document said.

Anti-corruption efforts at the local level will be intensified so as to prevent corruption-related problems that affect the public, it said.

The CCDI will implement a mechanism requiring officials to report their personal affairs, as well as conduct checks to verify important information, according to the communique.

The Party will continue its high pressure on corruption this year, stressing both punishment and prevention, it said.

Cases of officials abusing power, neglecting duty, bribing, embezzling public money and leading a corrupt lifestyle will be seriously dealt with, the document said.

Cases of corruption in key fields and commercial bribery cases will be seriously dealt with, it said.

Work styles infringing upon public interests and outstanding problems will be rectified in public service sectors such as finance and telecommunications, as well as education, healthcare, agriculture, land acquisition, demolition and fields concerning law enforcement and lawsuits, it added.

It also vowed more efforts to handle problems in construction projects and those concerning market intermediary agents.

The communique further called for enhancing education on anti-corruption, upholding integrity and building a clean and honest political environment.

All CPC members should strictly abide by the CPC Constitution, it said.

The CCDI will improve political discipline among CPC members and strictly punish violators in order to safeguard the authority of the CPC Constitution, according to the communique.

Procedures and rules regarding leadership changes should be observed to ensure the corruption-free reshuffling of leaders, it said.

The CCDI will use strict discipline to foster disciplinary supervisors who can satisfy the general public, according to the communique.

Disciplinary organs at multiple levels should accept supervision from CPC organizations, the people and media institutions in order to build themselves into a loyal and upright disciplinary force that serves the people, it said.

All disciplinary bodies should work to maintain unity within the Party. They should put the Party's political discipline first and intensify supervision over how it is exercised.

Great efforts should be made to address pressing concerns of the people and oppose "the belief in and use of privileges," it said.

The entire Party should resolve to curb the spreading of corruption and wage a long-term war to gradually eradicate the hotbed that breeds corrupt behavior.

A total of 4,698 county-level cadres or higher-level cadres were punished by the CPC's discipline watchdogs in 2012 and 961 cadres at the county-level or above have been transferred to judicial organs, CCDI figures show.

Among them are Bo Xilai, former member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Liu Zhijun, former minister of railways, Huang Sheng, former vice governor of east China's Shandong Province, and Tian Xueren, former vice governor of northeast China's Jilin Province.

Their cases have been transferred to judicial organs.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, vowed Tuesday to unswervingly fight against corruption and keep power reined within the "cage of regulations" when he delivered a speech at the CCDI plenary session.

"No exception will be made when it comes to Party disciplines and law," he said. "Cases will be investigated completely and no leniency will be meted out no matter who is involved."

The two-day plenary session passed a work report delivered by Wang Qishan, secretary of the CCDI and also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, on behalf of CCDI standing committee.

Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, were present at the meeting.