Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday announced the measures his
government will take in the new year to check corruption, targeting
in particular unnecessary red tape, collusion between officials and
businessmen, extravagance and waste.
Addressing an annual State Council anti-graft conference, Wen
told officials that there are many obstacles in the drive to build
a clean government. A series of major corruption cases have been
exposed and there is a "serious" problem of officials abusing their
posts or colluding with businessmen to make profits.
"A handful of graft cases involving high ranking officials have
had a very negative impact on society," Wen said. "Waste and
extravagance are rampant among officials and some issues concerning
common people's immediate interests remained unsolved."
Wen ordered focusing on five tasks this year, centering around
regulating the use of executive power:
-- cut government red tape, including the process of approving
projects and issuing various certificates.
-- continue the fight against commercial bribery;
-- curb the widespread trend of building and renovating
government offices against regulations;
-- promote a thrifty lifestyle;
-- and solve problems of particular concern to the public,
including issues concerning housing, medical care, and food
safety.
Wen vowed greater efforts in fighting collusion between
officials and businessmen in commercial bribery, especially in
cases concerning construction projects, land leases, purchase of
pharmaceuticals, and exploitation of natural resources.
On construction of government offices, Wen said departments
which already have suitable offices are not allowed to buy new
offices or expand their buildings. And any government office
construction deemed as waste or inappropriate should be stopped or
delayed immediately.
"Leaders of various levels of governments should take the lead
in the anti-graft drive. They should strictly ensure that their
family members, friends, and close subordinates do not abuse
government influence," Wen said.
Wen last month ordered a thorough investigation into allegations
of corruption against Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of the State
Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).
Zheng failed to properly supervise the drug market, abused the
administration's drug approval authority by taking bribes and
turned a blind eye to malpractice by relatives and subordinate
officials, said a notice released by the Party's discipline
watchdog.
China's widely publicized anti-graft fight has led to the
downfall of a number of high-profile corrupt officials in recent
months. Many were found to be enjoying cozy ties with business
tycoons who supplied them with extravagant gifts and
prostitutes.
Last year's snowballing Shanghai pension funds scandal began
with the arrest of business tycoon Zhang Rongkun, whose company was
found to have received illicit loans from a company under
Shanghai's labor and social security bureau.
The investigation brought down Shanghai's former party chief
Chen Liangyu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the
Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and later the
state's top statistician Qiu Xiaohua.
Qiu was expelled from the Communist Party for "taking bribes
from company owners, leading a dissolute life and bigamy".
The central government has asked officials to simplify their
lifestyles and shun people who try to take advantage of their
influence by offering them money, lavish banquets or sexual
favors.
"Recent history shows that an official's moral erosion often
starts with drinking, dining and vulgar entertainment, in which sex
is often involved," said a newspaper comment.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the
CPC has also highlighted "government officials' collusion with
business people" in its battle against corruption this year.
The central government has noticed that behind each corrupt
official lurks a business big-shot. Some media reports have accused
local officials of "finding a sugar daddy".
Many sentenced corrupt officials were in cahoots with private
businesses and their "intimate relationships" severely damaged
public interests.
The CCDI has vowed to step up measures to punish officials who
abuse their position to obtain benefits for their spouses, children
and relatives and to sever unsavory links between officials and
business people.
Since 2003, more than 67,000 government officials have been
punished for corruption, with more than 17,500 prosecuted and
sentenced in the first eight months of 2006.
(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2007)