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Commentary: From "dare not" to "cannot" be corrupt, anti-graft drive advances

Xinhua, October 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

"Power should be restricted by a cage of regulations," a signature phrase from a speech by President Xi Jinping, identifies the need to guarantee that officials dare not, cannot and do not want to be corrupt.

This anti-graft "trilogy" has been viewed as a roadmap for the graft crackdown declared by the current leadership after taking office in late 2012, which identifies a route from the initial shock-and-awe ousting of corrupt officials to perfecting the anti-graft regulations and mechanism.

The ongoing sixth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee marks another milestone in the CPC's anti-graft roadmap.

The session will discuss strict Party governance, a document on the norms of political life within the Party under the new situation, and a revision to an intra-Party supervision regulation.

Political life lies at the foundation of strict party governance. Norms formulated for intra-Party political life over the years, featuring principles such as "seeking truth from facts" and linking theory with reality, have ensured the Party's unity and vigor.

New criteria for political life will contribute to supervision and prevention mechanisms for the anti-graft drive.

Intra-Party supervision underpins strict Party governance, as self-correction and self-supervision have been key features of the anti-graft drive with Chinese characteristics.

The sixth plenary session agenda is part of the quest for a permanent mechanism to limit power and curb corruption. When it drafted the five-year plan on the formation of intra-Party rules (2013-2017), the CPC planned to put in place a framework of intra-Party rules and regulations by 2017.

In comparison, the initial years of the anti-graft battle saw progress in making officials "dare not be corrupt."

The CPC's disciplinary arm has ousted corrupt officials, from low-level "flies" to high-ranking "tigers." More than 100 centrally administered officials have been investigated, according to latest figures.

The hunt for "tigers" and "flies" has deterred the rest from slipping into corruption, and the country is gaining ground to overcome corruption.

With such a stern investigation, the CPC has also driven home the message that it is firmly resolved to address corruption, which it believes could threaten the very survival of the Party and the state.

The crackdown on corruption has no pause. The CPC is moving to institutionalize the anti-graft drive.

The CPC authorities passed a revised regulation on clean governance, and another specifying sanctions for those who break Party rules in Oct. 2015 and a revised regulation on discipline inspections in Aug. 2015.

The scope of intra-Party inspection is expanding. On Oct. 17, findings from the 10th round of inspections were publicly disclosed.

These improvements to the regulatory and institutional framework of the anti-graft drive, together with those to be made at the ongoing sixth plenary session, will ensure that officials cannot and do not want to be corrupt. Endi