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Monday, September 23, 2013

And you want to tell on who? All for the glory of the Chinese Communist State

Whistleblowers welcome as China's anti-graft watchdog launches website 

2013-09-20

Wang Qishan, head of the commission, at a forum in Tianjin on Sept. 6. (Photo/Xinhua)
Wang Qishan, head of the commission, at a forum in Tianjin on Sept. 6. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's anti-corruption watchdog, is introducing a new centralized website as part of the Communist Party's current campaign against graft, reports the Guangzhou-based Southern Weekly.
The newly created website, which combines resources from five former anti-graft government websites, includes an "I want to report" function to allow members of the public to report allegations of corruption.
Commission chief Wang Qishan, who took over the role last November, has called for a more impartial and independent disciplinary watchdog. The typically mysterious commission appears to be taking steps to become more transparent, with increased news coverage of its activities detailed on national broadcaster CCTV.
Wang issued an order in June for all commission staffers to ditch their special VIP and membership cards, which had become prone to being used as a mechanism for corruption. For this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, in addition to the usual warnings against officials receiving gifts and wining and dining on state funds, punishments will also be handed down to those in breach of the prohibitions.
Wang has so far received positive reviews for his efforts, with Renmin University of China professor Zhou Shuzhen saying that Wang is a hard worker dedicated to real work rather than showmanship. After listening to people speak, Wang would often ask them what the source of the problem is and what ideas they would recommend to solve the problem, Zhou added.
The commission said that in addition to the new website it will also be opening an official microblog account and take advantage of other social networking platforms such as messaging service Weixin, known as WeChat outside China.
Wang said he personally has no time to microblog, but he has a special team that specifically searches for and collects information about potential corruption cases regarding officials on the internet. This information is not only shared with him but also with other party leaders, Wang added.
During a commission forum in March and April this year, participants told reporters that the party is very focused on the next step in its anti-corruption campaign and believes that the internet can offer the breakthrough party leaders are looking for.
The commission currently has 27 functional departments, with the number of impartial discipline inspection offices increased from eight to 10 this year, including four in charge of monitoring state-owned enterprises and central government departments.
The goal of the commission in its widening anti-corruption campaign is to increase the number of reported cases, increase the number of cases investigated, and ensure that the punishment issued acts as an effective deterrent. Staffers said, however, that the core purpose of the campaign is not necessarily just to take down corrupt officials but to improve the overall atmosphere inside the party.
Since Xi Jinping became head of the party last November, the commission has taken down nine officials at vice-ministerial level or above: Sichuan deputy party chief Li Chuncheng, former Guangdong United Front Work Department chief Zhou Zhenhong, former energy chief Liu Tienan, former Anhui vice governor Ni Fake, former Sichuan Federation of Literary and Art Circles chairman Guo Yongxiang, Inner Mongolia United Front Work Department chief Wang Suyi, Guangxi Federation of Trade Unions chairman Li Daqiu, China National Petroleum Corp deputy general manager Wang Yongchun and its former chairman Jiang Jiemin.

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