More than half the respondents to a recent survey expressed
satisfaction over the Party and government's increased efforts to
fight corruption in 2003.
The number has been climbing steadily since the Research
Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of
the Party's Central Committee started the annual survey in
1996.
During that first year, the rate was 32.8 percent. In 2000 it
was 42 percent and by 2002 the number had climbed to 48.2.
Conducted recently, the survey polled 12,000 respondents in 10
provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions including Beijing
and Sichuan.
About 60 percent said the government has already stepped up
iron-fisted measures to curb corruption, which was regarded "still
serious" by Party chief Hu Jintao.
Still, half of respondents are not satisfied with the
situation.
The construction industry, public security departments,
procuratorates, courts and education and personnel departments are
the areas where respondents had most complaints.
In the survey, 32.2 percent said corruption was the area they
most cared for, following 51.4 percent who placed employment as
their top concern and 34.7 percent who pointed to social
security.
That number was higher than the 31.5 percent who raised the
question of medical insurance and 28.8 percent who focused on
education of the young.
"I would be with the other half who are not so satisfied," Lin
Yueqin, a researcher with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told
China Daily.
Lin said the government's iron-fisted efforts have brought
dozens of high-profile officials to justice.
"Some nodded because of the effort; but I care more about an
efficient system that can topple unqualified officials," said
Lin.
"We need some in-depth reforms of the current administrative and
supervision system among the government and the Party."
He said not enough progress has been made in this regard.
China's grave situation of corruption has captured the attention
of China's highest authorities.
Hu vowed recently that the Party will investigate any hint of
corruption and punish those who are guilty.
In the first 11 months of last year, some 38,000 indictments for
crimes committed by officials were filed by procuratorial
organs.
Crimes by officials in areas like finance, real estate,
construction project bidding, land-use rights acquisition and
material purchasing will be the focus of the 2004 anti-corruption
campaign, said Jia Chunwang, procurator-general of the Supreme
People's Procuratorate.
Jia called on the country to continue its crackdown on crimes
committed by officials, as they remain significant.
(China Daily January 28, 2004)