CPC official: 1.537 mln punished for corruption

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One of China's top disciplinary officials said Thursday that anti-corruption efforts have been taken to new heights over the past five years, with 1.537 million people punished, including 440 centrally administered officials.

Disciplinary inspection and supervision departments across the country have registered about 1.55 million cases of corruption in the past five years, and some 58,000 people have been transferred to judicial departments for crimes of corruption, said Yang Xiaodu, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), at a press conference on the sidelines of the 19th CPC National Congress in Beijing.

Yang Xiaodu, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), briefs the media in Beijing, October 19, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

The CPC Central Committee launched a major anti-graft campaign in 2012, targeting both high-ranking "tigers" and low-level "flies".

"A total of 440 officials at or above provincial or corps level have been investigated, including 43 members and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, as well as nine members of the CCDI," said Yang.

Among the "tigers" caught were Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who oversaw China’s security and judicial systems, and Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, two former top generals and both vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission.

Leading officials from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the Party's Organization Department brief media in Beijing, October 19, 2017. /Photo via China.com

As for the "flies", over 8,900 city-level officials, 63,000 county-level officials as well as 278,000 grassroots Party members and officials have also been punished, according to Yang.

The CPC leadership also stepped up efforts in hunting corruption suspects who fled overseas. By working with the international community, 3,453 fugitives have been repatriated, including 48 of the 100 most-wanted fugitives listed on an Interpol red notice.

In a work report to the CPC national congress on Wednesday, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the Party was determined to secure a sweeping victory over corruption, which he described as the greatest threat to the CPC.

It released an "eight-point" rule on austerity in late 2012, banning the use of public funds to buy gifts, hold banquets and pay for holidays, as well as all extravagance. The CCDI now has a monthly reporting system on the implementation of the rules within provincial-level governments, central Party and governmental agencies, centrally administered state-owned enterprises and central financial institutions.

Qi Yu, the deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, also briefed the press on how the Party is organized including on officials' selection process, self-governance within the Party and training courses.

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