Communist Party of China (CPC) discipline inspection leader Wu Guanzheng said Monday it is crucial to step up the prevention of corruption in the current anti-corruption drive, with equal stress to be placed on penalty and prevention efforts.

"While severely cracking down upon an extremely few corrupt elements, we should focus on education and prevention of corruption regarding the vast majority of CPC functionaries," Wu said at the opening function of a symposium on raising the governing capability of the CPC and improving discipline inspection and supervision work, held at the National School of Administration.

Wu, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee and the secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, cited reform as the fundamental driving force of economic and social development and prevention of corruption. "It is necessary to distinguish errors CPC officials commits during reform from grave violations of discipline and law in support of their "bold moves of innovation," he said.

The symposium was held jointly by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Organization Department of CPC Central Committee and the National School of Administration.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2005)