China vows unremitting fight against corruption in CPC communique

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 22, 2021. -Xinhua/Li Xueren

BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua): China's top disciplinary body on Sunday adopted a communique, vowing unremitting efforts to improve Party conduct, build a clean government and fight corruption to ensure the implementation of the targets and tasks set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The communique was adopted at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was held in Beijing from Friday to Sunday.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended and addressed the session. Other Party and state leaders, including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng, also attended the meeting.

The session reviewed the CCDI's progress in 2020, laid out its tasks for 2021 and passed a work report delivered by Zhao on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CCDI, according to the communique.

A speech made by Xi at the session was studied, and it was agreed that the speech provides important guidance to further enforce full, rigorous self-discipline within the Party.

In 2020, new major achievements have been made in various areas of the Party and state's cause under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, fully demonstrating the notable strengths of the Party leadership and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to the communique.

The CCDI, the National Supervisory Commission, and local discipline inspection commissions and supervisory agencies at all levels have faithfully performed their duties in fighting against COVID-19, securing a decisive victory in finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and shaking off poverty while promoting high-quality development of the disciplinary inspection and supervision work, it noted.

For 2021, efforts should be made to ensure that officials "don't dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit acts of corruption," and to deepen the reform of discipline inspection and supervision systems, according to the communique.

An eight-point list of requirements was put forward by the session:

-- Uphold Xi's position as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party, as well as the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership to ensure the smooth implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan with strong political oversight;

-- Deepen the anti-corruption campaign and advance the system under which officials "don't dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit acts of corruption" as a whole; investigate corruption cases in which political and economic issues are intertwined;

-- Beef up the fight against deep-rooted practices of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism; curb behaviors related to hedonism and extravagance; supervise the implementation of regulations related to doing business by leading officials' spouses, children, and their children's spouses;

-- Address corruption and misconduct that occur on the people's doorsteps to promote social fairness and justice as well as safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the people;

-- Improve coordination in disciplinary inspections at different levels, giving full play to intraparty supervision and public oversight;

-- Integrate various forms of supervision and improve the effectiveness of supervision and governance, including strengthening oversight on leading bodies and their heads;

-- Deepen the reform of discipline inspection and supervision systems and promote intraparty and state supervision across the board;

-- Conduct strict self-supervision and self-discipline and build an iron anti-graft team that is loyal, clean, professional and with a strong sense of political integrity and responsibility.