Anti-graft campaign finds public backing

More than three-quarters of the people believe crackdown is effective, think tank survey shows

More than three-quarters of the public have expressed their confidence in the effectiveness of the national campaign against corruption, according to a government think tank.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a comprehensive research organization for the study of philosophy and social sciences, said in its latest annual anti-corruption report that 75.8 percent of people across the country are confident in the nation's efforts to build a clean government.

The academy drew the conclusion from a survey of more than 10,000 people launched at the end of last year. Among the respondents, 93.7 percent of government officials, 88 percent of public servants, 73.1 percent of professionals in a variety of sectors and 75.8 percent of people not in these categories voiced their confidence in the crackdown on corruption.

In addition to public backing for anti-corruption efforts, the call by the central leadership in late 2012 to practice austerity also gained great support. The eight frugality rules initiated by President Xi Jinping require government officials to get close to the people by cleaning up undesirable work practices and curbing extravagance.

According to a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 87.2 percent of the public believe that rules have been effectively implemented.

In a questionnaire by Xinhua News Agency, 69.1 percent of respondents said that using public money for dinner is the worst custom in Chinese officialdom and should be rooted out.

The sweeping anti-corruption campaign in 2014 saw the downfall of top officials, including Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Xu Caihou, former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The country's top disciplinary watchdog uncovered 1,650 graft violations involving 2,133 people in January, according to an announcement on Tuesday. Of those who committed violations, 1,406 have been given Party or administrative punishment, said the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The violations include private use of official cars, illegal subsidies, lavish spending at weddings and funerals, accepting festival gifts and use of public funds for high-end entertainment activities and travel.

The number of delegates to the National People's Congress and the country's top political consultative body under investigation on corruption charges since March 2013 has exceeded the total number of corrupt delegates from 2008 to 2013.

Eighteen deputies to the National People's Congress have been dismissed and 16 others have resigned.

More than 70 top executives in State-owned enterprises were placed under investigation on corruption charges last year.

The CCDI's inspections of 26 large State-owned enterprises are expected to start this month. The SOEs include China National Petroleum Corp, China National Offshore Oil Corp, China Huaneng Group, State Grid Corp of China and China Mobile Communications Corp.

Thirteen teams will be sent to the giant corporations, with each team dealing with two companies.