China Ramps up Anti-Corruption Efforts

The second is to continue reforms of the administrative system, to whittle down and bridle the power vested on officials. A boundary of power has to be drawn, and the relationship between power and rights must be clarified to ensure that public power is executed only to protect and not jeopardize public interests.

The third is to proceed with social reforms to better social security, which sweeps away the soil for power rent-seeking. Power rent-seeking and privilege are often blamed for corrupt practices. China must cut back on and control the prerogatives of government employees in such fields as public security, health care, housing and education.

Michael Johnston said in his book Syndromes of Corruption: Wealth, Power, and Democracy that the path to fighting corruption is densely covered in prickly bushes. So is what lies ahead for China. President Xi Jinping has reiterated that just as heavy doses have to be prescribed for a severe disease, and harsh punishment handed down in a time of chaos, China must clean up the Party and combat corruption.

The rule of law is the fundamental guarantee for a clean government. China must carry through the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, increasing awareness of the rule of law, putting its faith in the rule of law, advancing its social transition and creating a clean, efficient institutional environment. These are the prerequisites to weeding out corruption.

Dr. JIN SHANMING is a research fellow with the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.