Xi vows to fight the dirty battle against corruption
January 15, 2014, 6:08 am

The third plenary session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2014 [Xinhua]

“Preventing the Party from being corrupted in its long-term rule of the country is a major political mission. And we must do it right,” said Xi in an address to the third plenary session of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) that opened Monday.

Xi also stressed on reforms in the ruling Communist Party’s regulation system.

“Do not let regulations become ‘paper tigers’ or ‘scarecrows,'” he warned.

“Every CPC official should keep in mind that all dirty hands will be caught,” he warned.

In 2013, Xi told his audience, China brought down both “tigers” and “flies” to signify that both senior and junior officials were exposed for graft.

Xi was referring to high-profile corruption cases of the former Party Secretary Bo Xilai, top economic official Jiang Jiemin, ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang, and top political advisor Yang Gang among several others.

According to the anti-corruption body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China punished about 182,000 officials nationwide in 2013, 13.3 per cent more than in 2012.

An unholy marriage of wealth and politics in the Asian nation has led to a growing disparity between the rich and the poor.

An analysis by The Wall Street Journal, based on data from the Hurun Report, determined that 160 of China’s 1,024 richest people, with a collective family net worth of $221 billion, are seated in three key organs of party power.

Social unrest meanwhile is fueled by massive corruption which has long been a major public complaint in the world’s second largest economy.

“Not one cent of public money should be squandered and not a slight bit of official power should be abused for personal ends,” Xi warned.

TBP and Agencies