Everyone is admiring the peaceful rise of China and termed it as an unprecedented example in know history, where within only four decades, China has emerged as a geopolitical power and the second largest global economy. Of course, it was the hard work of the people of China and visionary leadership who introduced friendly policies and provided enabling environments for rapid development.
Scholar, researchers, think tanks, and politicians, from many countries, are trying to explore how China achieved such marvelous results.
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There are many theories and explanations for the rapid rise of China
However, overcoming corruption is something very important that should be learned from China. Since the Party’s 18th National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has taken concrete measures to improve conduct and combat corruption.
These endeavors have provided a strong guarantee for the development of various undertakings of the Party and the country.
“A total of 5,434 cases of violating the eight-point code were investigated and dealt with, and 8,185 officials were punished,” said the 107th monthly report released by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission in August this year.
After the promulgation of the frugality rules on improving Party and government conduct in December 2012, a refined document of detailed rules was introduced in October 2017, raising standards.
Over the past decade, measures to improve conduct in the Party, government, and society, such as the ones against waste on the dinner table, regulating the use of official vehicles, and advocating streamlined funerals, have been introduced step by step.
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Therefore, positive changes have taken place. Reinforced Party and government conduct have resulted in an improved social atmosphere, thus benefiting the people.
Resolutely fighting corruption
From the downfall of high-ranking “tigers” including Zhou Yong Kang and Bo Xi Lai to the punishment of low-ranking officials and international cooperation in hunting fugitives, China’s fight against corruption has been constantly deepened.
According to official statistics, from the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 to the end of April 2022, discipline inspection and supervision organs across the country had investigated nearly 4.4 million cases involving 4.7 million officials.
And the tangible results of the fight against corruption have been felt by the people.
From the 19th CPC National Congress to the end of April this year, nearly 500,000 cases of corruption and misconduct in the field of people’s livelihood have been investigated and handled, with 456,000 people punished.
A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics at the end of 2020 revealed that 95.8 percent of people are fully confident in the work of exercising strict governance over the Party and curbing the spread of corruption.
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Strengthening fighting corruption
On May 19, 2022, the former branch executive of a state-owned bank Sun Feng, who fled the country in 2011, was arrested overseas and brought back to China, becoming the 61st of the top 100 “red notice” fugitives captured in Operation Skynet.
This success has been built on an inter-agency mechanism designed to coordinate the anti-corruption cause.
Since 2012, the fugitive repatriation and asset recovery office under China’s Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group has sent 12 teams overseas to carry out international law enforcement cooperation.
In the meantime, China has also introduced a raft of legislation in the field, including the Supervision Law, the revised Criminal Procedure Law, and the Law on International Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters.
As an active participant in and contributor to the global anti-corruption fight, China has taken an active part in anti-corruption consultations under the United Nations, APEC, G20, and other multilateral mechanisms.
It has proposed the Beijing Initiative for Clean Silk Road and the BRICS Initiative on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption. It has concluded extradition treaties and criminal judicial assistance treaties and signed memorandums of understanding with many countries.
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It is strongly urged that Pakistan being a close friend of China, should learn from Chinese experience and implement a similar approach to curb corruption in Pakistan. Starting from high profile corruption cases should come to medium and small size corruption cases. Once corruption is eliminated absolutely, there is hope for rapid development in this country.
Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization). (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com). The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.