China Focus: Anti-graft inspections on track to cover all fronts

Following the launch of a new round of inspections targeting 32 state entities on Wednesday, the top anti-graft authority moved one step closer to its goal to cover all fronts in its sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

Late last year, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said it would finish inspecting all 280 government bodies or Party organizations by the end of 2017.

Inspections will hear work reports, publish contact information to the public, set up tip-off channels, and hold group or one-on-one meetings to uncover any violations of Party code of conduct or suspected graft.

The CCDI also divided the 280 government or Party organs into five categories -- provincial government bodies, central ministries and commissions, central state-owned enterprises (SOE), financial institutions and public institutions.

Now, after nine rounds, the inspection teams sent by CCDI have investigated 181 state organs since late 2012, screening local provincial government bodies, central SOEs and financial institutions.

In the new round, inspectors will go to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

They will also visit the Foreign Ministry; the Ministry of Public Security; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; the National Audit Office; as well as State Council organs in charge of legislative affairs and work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas Chinese.

These state organs are central government agencies, which are the leading bodies and should be role models of upholding the Party line and policies, said the CCDI in a statement.

Wang Qishan, head of the CCDI, said anti-graft inspections were integral to intra-party supervision.

Wang may well say that -- since late 2012, more than half of the corruption cases investigated by the CCDI have been discovered through inspections, according to a CCDI statement in January.

The misconduct committed by Su Rong, former vice chairman of the top political advisory body; Zhu Mingguo, former head of Guangdong political advisory body; Wan Qingliang, former Guangzhou Party chief, among others, were all found through inspections, said Ning Yanling, a senior inspector.

Xin Ming, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said many achievements in the anti-graft campaign were largely attributed to inspections.

To further improve inspections, the CCDI has twice expanded its inspection teams, said Xin, noting the CCDI also adopted new inspection methods, such as re-examination, which means those that have been inspected in previous rounds may be inspected a second time.

In this sense, inspection work shows the CPC's responsibility for itself and the country, added Xin. "Comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is always in motion," he said. Endi