Committed to a clean society

Xi's speech signifies the top leadership is more determined than ever to root out corruption and punish rule violators

Communist Party of China General Secretary Xi Jinping has pledged a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, reflecting the top leadership's determination to root out corruption from Chinese society.

Addressing the third plenum of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Xi said the Party has resolved to use "strong doses" to eradicate the "serious disease" of corruption. Emphasizing that no official found guilty of corruption will be spared and that the corrupt will eventually be caught, he said all officials should abide by the Party discipline.

During last year, the central leadership implemented a series of measures, including the "eight-point" governance rules for bureaucratic reform and the directive for eliminating the four "unhealthy winds" of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance. The measures yielded some concrete results last year as the number of cases registered and dealt with by discipline inspection agencies nationwide, as well as the number of officials punished for violating Party and government discipline, increased by more than 10 percent year-on-year.

But corruption and work styles detrimental to the Party and the people are prone to relapse like a stubborn disease. Judging by the anti-corruption information updated at the CCDI plenum, the soil which breeds corruption is still fertile. So consistent and arduous efforts are needed to eliminate corruption and other unhealthy tendencies from society.

As senior anti-corruption officials have said, the high pressure on and the zero tolerance for corruption manifest the central leadership's determination to root out corruption from society for which the Party will intensify its fight against "tigers" and "flies" both this year.

Xi said the Party's discipline inspection system should be reformed to improve its corruption-prevention mechanism, warning that the fight against corruption is vital for the integrity of the CPC in the long run. The establishment and improvement of a mechanism to prevent corruption and punish the corrupt remain a national priority.

He said the five-year (2013-17) plan issued by the CPC Central Committee in December to build a mechanism to prevent corruption and punish the corrupt is a guideline that needs meticulous implementation by Party committees at all levels in all aspects of their work, including reform and development. The plan says the anti-corruption drive will use forceful and effective measures to tackle power-for-money deals, judicial corruption, major political disciplinary violation cases, corruption-triggered mass incidents, commercial bribery and favoritism in selection of officials.