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Xi Jinping vows to fight 'tigers' and 'flies' in anti-corruption drive Xi Jinping vows to fight 'tigers' and 'flies' in anti-corruption drive
(about 3 hours later)
China's president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, has vowed to crack down on both "tigers" and "flies" – powerful leaders and lowly bureaucrats – in his campaign against corruption and petty officialdom.China's president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, has vowed to crack down on both "tigers" and "flies" – powerful leaders and lowly bureaucrats – in his campaign against corruption and petty officialdom.
His latest remarks are the most colourful yet on his promise to tackle abuses of power since becoming general secretary of the Communist party last autumn. Scandals involving highly placed leaders, day-to-day incidents of minor corruption and the sheer inefficiency or negligence by local cadres are among the most potent sources of public discontent. Scandals involving highly placed leaders, day-to-day incidents of minor corruption and the sheer inefficiency or negligence by local cadres are among the most potent sources of public discontent.
"We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time, resolutely investigating law-breaking cases of leading officials and also earnestly resolving the unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems which happen all around people," Xi said in a speech carried by the state news agency Xinhua."We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time, resolutely investigating law-breaking cases of leading officials and also earnestly resolving the unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems which happen all around people," Xi said in a speech carried by the state news agency Xinhua.
Xi has not only adopted a livelier turn of phrase than his predecessor, Hu Jintao – who he succeeds as president of China in March – but also a series of no-nonsense, people-pleasing measures, such as banning expensive flower arrangements and elaborate red-carpet ceremonies. Xi has adopted not only a livelier turn of phrase than the outgoing president, Hu Jintao, from whom he takes over in March, but also a series of no-nonsense, people-pleasing measures such as banning expensive flower arrangements and elaborate red-carpet ceremonies.
Speaking to the party's top discipline body, he said officials must not be allowed to skirt orders from above or choose which they followed. Addressing the party's top discipline body, Xi said officials must not be allowed to skirt orders from above or choose which they followed.
"The style in which you work is no small matter, and if we don't redress unhealthy tendencies and allow them to develop, it will be like putting up a wall between our party and the people, and we will lose our roots, our lifeblood and our strength." "The style in which you work is no small matter, and if we don't redress unhealthy tendencies and allow them to develop, it will be like putting up a wall between our party and the people, and we will lose our roots, our lifeblood and our strength," he said.
Deng Xiaogang, an expert on corruption at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said: "The party realises the impact [of abuses of power] on their legitimacy and maintaining their rule." Deng Xiaogang, an academic and expert on corruption, said: "The party realises the impact [of abuses of power] on their legitimacy and maintaining their rule."
The associated sociology professor said China's leaders had warned more than two decades ago that corruption threatened Communist rule. Since then the scale has vastly increased, while economic uncertainty and social concerns had given the party "a sense of urgency about the need to do something", said Deng. But he warned that powerful interest groups could block the changes needed. Deng, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, said China's leaders had warned more than two decades ago that corruption threatened Communist rule. Since then the scale had vastly increased, while economic uncertainty and social concerns had given the party "a sense of urgency about the need to do something".
But Deng said powerful interest groups could block the changes needed.
Xi vowed that no exceptions would be made in the corruption drive and no leniency granted, adding: "Power should be restricted by the cage of regulations."Xi vowed that no exceptions would be made in the corruption drive and no leniency granted, adding: "Power should be restricted by the cage of regulations."
But many in China say the problem cannot be rooted out unless the party undertakes fundamental political reforms, such as the development of an independent judiciary and media. Many in China say the problem cannot be rooted out unless the party undertakes fundamental political reforms, such as the development of an independent judiciary and media.
One user on the popular Sina microblog service questioned whether "tigers" who had enjoyed their power for years would be willing to put it back inside the cage. Wu Qiang, a scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing. said anti-corruption [campaigns] were used to conceal political struggles inside the ruling Communist party, and such struggles were becoming fiercer.
"Anti-corruption [campaigns] are used to conceal political struggles inside the party," said Wu Qiang, a scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, adding that such struggles were becoming fiercer.
He said the government was seeking to strictly control officials while limiting anti-corruption voices outside the party, releasing news of its achievements to help ease public anger.He said the government was seeking to strictly control officials while limiting anti-corruption voices outside the party, releasing news of its achievements to help ease public anger.
Wu described the campaign as a populist policy, saying the public response was likely to affect how long it lasted and how deep it went, predicting the current drive would calm down "when it reaches a balancing point – which means when the central government needs to implement other policies, and depending on how local officials follow the orders." Wu described the campaign as a populist policy, saying the public response was likely to affect how long it lasted and how deep it went. The current drive would calm down "when it reaches a balancing point – which means when the central government needs to implement other policies, and depending on how local officials follow the orders", he said.