China Focus: CCDI pledges to safeguard Xi's core status, crack down upon corruption

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's top anti-graft agency on Saturday pledged to safeguard the position of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party.

The key to implementing the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress is to safeguard Xi's position as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party, and to safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, said a communique adopted at the second plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which was held from Thursday to Saturday.

Another key is to study and grasp Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and make it the guide in practice and work, it said.

"Currently, the fight against corruption remains grave and complex, and the full and strict governance over the Party should not be given up halfway. We must have the resolve and tenacity to persevere in the never-ending fight against corruption," said the communique.

"We must focus on solving problems, maintain strategic resolve, eliminate distraction of wrong ideas, and ensure strict Party self-governance without any pause or slackness," it said.

CCDI members and senior Party and state leaders,including Xi, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng, attended the session. Xi delivered a speech at the opening meeting.

Xi's speech explained strategic guidelines for Party governance, summarized progress made in the past five years and analyzed challenges and risks ahead, the communique said, adding that it is important for all Party to carefully study it.

POLITICAL DISCIPLINES

The most important thing is to tighten the Party's political rules and disciplines, said the communique, calling for better supervision over the political life of the Party and how its policies are being implemented.

The "Janus-faced ones", who are disloyal and dishonest to the Party, who comply in pubic but oppose in private, should be firmly excluded, it said.

In the communique, the CCDI pledged to enhance monitoring of political life within the Party and inspect how key principles and policies are carried out and internal management mechanisms operate.

SUPERVISORY NETWORK COVERING ALL

The communique pledged to build a supervisory network over all state functionaries, under the Party's leadership.

China is expanding a pilot reform of supervisory systems in Beijing, Shanxi and Zhejiang nationwide, with supervisory commissions being established at national, provincial, city and county levels.

Sharing offices and staff with CPC discipline agencies, the new commissions will incorporate existing supervisory, corruption prevention and control agencies within government and procuratorates.

Efforts should be made to create a highly efficient supervisory mechanism to ensure coordination between discipline inspection and judicial investigation, the CCDI communique said.

FIGHTING BUREAUCRACY, CURBING PRIVILEGES

The CCDI will closely monitor undesirable work styles.

"More will be done to curb formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucracy," the communique said. "Those who are active only in words rather than deeds will be held accountable."

The communique stressed firm opposition to Party officials seeking privileges, and urged efforts to push leading officials to discipline themselves and their families.

The CCDI will continue to dispatch inspection teams regularly and on specific missions and launch more effective education campaigns.

ZERO TOLERANCE

"We will continue to see that there are no no-go zones, no stone is left unturned, and no tolerance is shown for corruption," the communique said.

The CCDI said the fight against corruption will target officials who have shown no restraint and continued their wrongdoing after the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012.

The CCDI will fight corruption in selection and appointment of officials, government approval and supervision, resource exploitation, finance, and other key areas prone to corruption.

The commission stressed efforts to address corruption that occurs on the people's doorsteps, especially in poverty relief. The fight against corruption at the grassroots level will be combined with that against criminal gangs. The "protection umbrella" behind the gangs will be removed, it said.

Officials working in discipline inspection and supervision should be loyal, resolute, responsible and maintain discipline and the law, ensuring that power bestowed by the Party and the people is not abused, according to the communique. Enditem