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While addressing the recent 40th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, urged coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption for a full victory in the anti-corruption campaign. What's your view on the achievements that have been made in the fight against corruption since the 18th CPC National Congress? Thank you.

Wang Jianxin:

Anti-corruption is a matter of great concern to the people. Let me give you a brief overview. The fight against corruption is the most thorough self-revolution of the Party and a key fight in the great struggle of the new era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC has maintained a tough stance on cracking down on corruption with the courage to make painful self-adjustments. Whoever is corrupt, regardless of where they come from, what they do, or whether they are retired, will be challenged or even cleared. It has delivered the promise that those who violate CPC discipline and state laws, no matter how high their position is, will be investigated seriously and punished severely, writing a new chapter in the history of mankind's fight against corruption.

First, the CPC has set up a work system for fighting corruption under the Party's overall leadership. It has strengthened the all-around and full-coverage leadership against corruption throughout the whole process. The Party has improved the institutional mechanism for anti-corruption work which is characterized by the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, command and coordination of Party committees at different levels, organization and coordination of discipline inspection commissions and supervision commissions, effective cooperation between functional departments, and participation and support of the people. We have fought corruption under the CPC leadership, severely punished corruption by the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and prevented and controlled corruption by the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. We have successfully embarked on an anti-corruption path with Chinese characteristics. 

Second, the CPC has formed a policy of coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC central committee has unveiled the establishment of an effective mechanism in this regard. With the fight against corruption deepening, the mechanism of coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption has been established as the basic principle in the fight against corruption and an important policy of full and strict Party self-governance. We have implemented the principle of coordinated improvement in tightening discipline, improving Party conduct, and fighting corruption to ensure that Party members and officials are deterred from corruption, are not able to be corrupt as confined by the system, and have no desire to commit corruption because of their awareness.

Third, the CPC has shown no tolerance in its fight against corruption. We have unswervingly taken strictness as a keynote principle in the fight against corruption to resolutely stop the increase in corruption and reduce the amount of existing corruption. The spread of corruption has been effectively curbed, and the fight against corruption has won an overwhelming victory and has been fully consolidated, entering a normal stage where corruption will be punished once it is found. Since the 19th CPC National Congress, a total of 74,000 people across the country have voluntarily surrendered to disciplinary and supervisory authorities, a figure that illustrates this point well.

Fourth, the CPC has built a tight cage of institutions to prevent corruption. We have formulated and revised the code of intra-Party political life, the code of anti-corruption and self-discipline, and intra-Party oversight regulations under the new circumstances. We have revised regulations on disciplinary punishments and regulations on discipline inspections twice. We have enacted the Supervision Law and the Law on Administrative Discipline for Public Officials and revised the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law to have formed a complete system of intra-Party regulations and anti-corruption laws. We have connected the implementation of disciplines and laws and strengthened institutional strictness to ensure that the laws and systems are rooted and work.

Fifth, the CPC has built an ideological defense against corruption. The whole Party has been unswervingly armed with the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have promoted the formation of a chain of all-around education on Party consciousness, strengthened the fundamentals with ideals and convictions, and cultivated the mind with fine Chinese cultural traditions. We have stepped up efforts in the education of anti-corruption, guided Party members and officials to develop their sense of Party consciousness, and consolidated their ideological and moral defense line.

Sixth, we have strengthened checks on and oversight over the exercise of power and deepened reform of the Party's discipline inspection system and the national supervision system. We have ensured that internal oversight covers the whole Party, that supervision covers everyone working in the public sector, and promoted rectification and governance through punishing corruption cases. Since 2020, a total of 216,000 discipline inspection and supervision suggestions have been put forward, realizing the comprehensive effect of investigating and punishing a corruption case to warn similar ones and reinforce order in a certain area . We have integrated identifying problems, promoting rectification, boosting reform, and improving institutions. We have educated and guided Party members and officials to exercise power impartially, in accordance with the law, with self-discipline, and in the interests of the people and helped them get accustomed to working under supervision. Thank you.