Nation to step up efforts in anti-corruption

Strengthening supervision in all respects, as decided by the central leadership at a key meeting, means the all-around battle against corruption will be intensified across the country to ensure clean governance, experts said.

Highlighting the significance of improving the national supervision system, the four-day Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which concluded on Oct 31, called for upholding and improving the Party and State supervision systems and strengthening checks on the exercise of power.

"Supervision will cover every walk of life－every aspect of work and everyone working for Party-related departments and government agencies," said Ma Huaide, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Ma made the remarks ahead of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, to be held from Monday to Wednesday.

Comprehensive supervision as a requirement has been written into the country's first Supervision Law, which was adopted by the National People's Congress, the top legislative body, and took effect in 2018.

Ma Yide, a law professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said an improved supervision system is a crucial and necessary element in the fight against corruption.

"A sound mechanism for power allocation and restriction will help prevent the abuse of power and help ensure officials do not become corrupt," he said.

He applauded the adoption of the Supervision Law, saying the establishment of the National Supervisory Commission was an important part of fighting graft.

The commission not only integrated the anti-corruption authorities in the country but also coordinated with law enforcement agencies from other countries, including the United States and Canada, to hunt down fugitive corrupt officials.

According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission, 1,841 fugitives suspected of graft-related crimes were brought back to China in the first 11 months of last year, and about 4.09 billion yuan ($ 591 million) of illegally obtained money was retrieved.

As efforts to track down corrupt officials and recover assets are increased, China's battle against corruption has been intensified in various aspects.

A report on the People's Daily website said on Dec 16 that officials under investigation for violations of discipline and law in 2019 were not only from Party and government departments but also from sectors such as finance, quality supervision and electricity.

Several high-level officials voluntarily turned themselves in last year because of the more intense level of supervision, the report said.

In May, Qin Guangrong, former Party secretary of Yunnan province, turned himself in and was investigated in connection with serious violations of discipline and law by the CCDI and the commission. It was the first case of a top official of a provincial-level region giving himself up to be announced by the National Supervisory Commission. Qin, 69, was officially charged with receiving bribes in November.

The key Party meeting held in October also stipulated that fully implementing the Constitution and laws is essential to advancing the rule of law.

The meeting underscored the importance of adherence to and improvement of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, according to Yuan Shuhong, vice-minister of justice.

Meanwhile, many measures to improve law-based governance were also decided at the session. For instance, the meeting stressed that interference with law enforcement should be strictly prohibited, as are any hidden judicial activities, Yuan said.