Fighting corruption by legal means

With regard to the major charges against Bo, the prosecution had evidence to back up their case, and the court heard the testimonies of witnesses. The trial has fully embodied the spirit of the country's newly revised Criminal Procedure Law, which has been a big step forward in improving judicial procedures and guaranteeing defendants' procedural rights.

With regard to the three charges filed by prosecutors against Bo, strict legal procedures have been followed, from conducting thorough investigations and acquiring evidence to presenting the evidence to the court for confirmation, to discussion and debates between prosecutors and the defendant. These have fully embodied the country's judicial concept that judges are loyal to facts and the law, and its pursuit of justice in both procedure and substance.

To bring corrupt officials to justice has been a consistent and long-cherished requirement for the strict self-governance of the Party. The trial of Bo fully demonstrates that China has in place both Party disciplines and laws to deal with corruption.

The essence of corruption is the abuse of power and thus the core of the fight against corruption is to put in place a restraint mechanism and monitoring regime over power. With a forcible restraint mechanism, power will be exercised in a legal way. To handle corruption cases within a legal framework and bring the anti-graft campaign onto the track of institutionalization remains a basic direction for the Party to fight corruption and promote clean governance.

The series of major corruption cases that have been handled recently is a clear indication that anyone involved in corruption, no matter their rank, will be brought to justice. Such a consensus has been substantiated through all of the Party' and the country's governance and anti-corruption measures.

The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in late 2012, stressed that China will "more value the important role that rule of law will play in national governance and social management, to maintain the unity, dignity and authority of its legal system".

If the country sticks to a legal approach and the principle of rule of law in fighting corruption, it will make people feel the prevalence of equality and justice in every judicial case, check the emergence of extralegal mentality among some, prevent the abuse of power and safeguard the integrity of the law.