China’s anti-corruption effort ‘fox hunt’ results in more prosecutions

World Today

China has been conducting a wide-reaching anti-corruption campaign to catch both high-ranking “tigers” and low-ranking “flies.” Known as Fox Hunt, China launched its operation in July, targeting corrupt officials and suspects in economic crimes that have fled the country.

Since the 18th National Congress of the China Communist Party (CPC) in November 2012, the CPC Central Committee has shown neither tolerance nor mercy toward corrupt officials. Unofficial statistics show that nearly 60 officials of provincial and ministerial level or higher have been investigated for corruption or other serious disciplinary violations.

Among them was Zhou Yongkang, a former Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Zhou was placed under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary violation on July 29 this year. On Dec. 5, the Political Bureau moved to expel him from the CPC and transfer the details of his suspected crimes to various judicial branches to be handled in accordance with the law. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate then decided to open an investigation into Zhou’s suspected crimes and arrest him according to law.

Another case is the fall of Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xu was found to have taken advantage of his position to promote others, accepting huge bribes personally and through his family, and seeking profits for others in exchange for bribes. The investigation into Xu concluded in October, and he is now facing prosecution.

Other prominent figures include Su Rong, then vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and Bai Enpei, former deputy head of the NPC Environment and Resources Protection Committee.

According to the work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, about 182,000 officials nationwide were punished in 2013, 13.3 percent more than in 2012. 31 high-profile officials were investigated by the commission itself and eight of them were handed over to prosecutors.

CCTV’s Wu Haojun reported this story.

Read more about China’s anti-corruption HERE

CCTV America interviewed Neysun A. Mahboubi, research scholar of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at University of Pennsylvania.