Watchdogs step up disciplinary and corruption probes in first half of year

China continues to clamp down on disciplinary violations and corruption, with the number of tips pursued, cases filed and people penalized in the first half of the year reaching highs not seen in half a decade, according to figures released over the weekend by the country’s top disciplinary watchdogs.

In the January-June period, disciplinary inspection and supervisory organs nationwide investigated 932,000 tips, up from 807,000 in the same period last year, and filed 321,000 cases, up from 286,000, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said.

A total of 265,000 people were penalized, among whom 83 percent received Party discipline. In the first six months of last year, about 240,000 people were punished. Nearly 65 percent of those penalized this year were not government officials.

Among those penalized, some 1,336 senior officials were at the departmental and bureau level or above, including six at provincial or ministerial levels.

An article published by the two commissions said the figures show that discipline inspection and anticorruption initiatives have made steady and solid progress in multiple domains. The numbers also demonstrate the clear attitude and determination of disciplinary inspection and supervisory bodies at all levels to improve the Communist Party of China’s working style, and clean up governance.

Disciplinary inspection and supervisory bodies uphold the principle that no area is immune to anti-graft investigation, and all areas should be fully investigated, with zero tolerance for infractions. Work should also focus on containment and deterrence of related violations and crimes, it said.

The CCDI’s fifth plenary session, held in January, emphasized the need to continue the fight against corruption and unhealthy practices in order to consolidate the political and mass foundation for the Party’s governance.

Noting that filing complaints when warranted is important to building clean government and fighting corruption, disciplinary authorities received about 1.8 million letters and reports in the first half of the year, up from 1.4 million in the same period last year, meaning that the fight against corruption remains a grim and complicated endeavor, the article said.

Disciplinary inspection and supervisory organs need to maintain their strategic resolve and uphold the principle of treating the symptoms and root causes of corruption systematically to ensure strict Party governance, it said.