Comprehensively strengthening party discipline

By Lu Rucai
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Today, September 13, 2017
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"When it comes to fighting corruption, China sets an example to the rest of the world, especially for developing countries. We hope to learn from the Chinese experience in this regard," said Sabelo Mgotywa of the South African Communist Party.

The experience of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee epitomizes that of the Party throughout the country. This province so rich in cultural and natural resources was, for a time, plagued with political corruption that sapped the local economy. Over the past three years the province has taken painful, drastic measures to fight corruption, according to Party Secretary of Shanxi Luo Huining. During the 12 months from mid-2016 to mid-2017, CPC members in official positions that received punishment grew 8.6 percent, year on year. A total of 105 CPC groups were penalized for lax management of their members, and 1,025 Party members in leadership positions were held accountable. During the 2016 re-election of provincial, prefectural, county, and township officials, the CPC provincial committee explicitly declared that only honest and capable candidates would be considered for government posts. According to this principle, it weeded out 449 of those in the running.

From November 2012 until the end of 2016, the CPC Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspection investigated 240 officials nationwide and punished 223 centrally administered officials who were originally appointed by the CPC Central Committee. Discipline inspection and supervisory organs at various levels also filed 1.162 million cases, and punished 1.199 million Party members and officials.

"Instill in all officials the awareness that they are under an obligation to perform their duties diligently and competently, and to hold accountable those who fail to do so." This is the rule that the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee, and also the CPC in general, follows in filling its leadership positions. In this way, a cohort of cadres that maintain close contact with the people, devote themselves to public service, and who are innovative and enterprising are selected and promoted.

Clean politics conducive to strong economy

Luo Huining sees a healthy political environment as a precondition for economic development. "Shanxi is fostering a business-friendly environment through nine special programs that aim to shorten review and approval procedures, streamline the administrative process, optimize relevant systems, create flexible mechanisms, increase efficiency, and provide good services," Luo said. Since the latter half of 2016, 14,000 local government officials and those of CPC organs have visited 4,580 corporations and helped them solve around 10,000 problems falling within the government ambit. This practice is expected to become the norm in Shanxi.

Liu Yanzhong, deputy secretary-general of Jinzhong municipal government, was paired with a private casting company in Taigu County that produces malleable steel pipes. After repeated visits and talks, he won the trust of its executives and revealed to them the problems that often crop up in family businesses, like sub-standard management and narrow vision. By visiting every section, workshop, and work team of the company, Liu and his colleagues enabled it to impose higher standards and build its brand, thus bringing the company tangible benefits.

During his recent trip to Shanxi, Kabir Hashi, general secretary of the United National Party of Sri Lanka, was impressed by the program of sending government officials to local businesses. "In certain countries many people are wrestling with poverty and inequality, and are disillusioned with political parties and organizations. But during my visit to China, especially to Shanxi, I witnessed how the CPC's reforms under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping have met and overcome this challenge," Kabir Hashi said.

Shanxi's measures to build a clean and efficient party and government have promoted economic growth. In the first quarter of this year, the local GDP grew 6.1 percent over that of the same period of the previous year, the general public budget revenue rose by 12.6 percent, and the value added by strategic emerging industries increased 14.9 percent.

Talking about his first visit to Shanxi, Daniel Bell admitted that although he had believed beforehand that China's anti-corruption campaign might be effective in alleviating corruption, he nevertheless thought it would be at the cost of reluctance on the part of officials to take risks or innovate for fear of making mistakes. However, his view changed after seeing the many highly competitive, enterprising officials in the region that had formerly been cowed by a polluted political environment. He also observed a pickup in GDP after a period that had previously experienced slow growth. This change, he said, could be attributed to the policies followed on selecting and promoting officials, as well as changes at the local leadership level.

"The more I learn about China's organizational system, the more I appreciate it," Bell concluded.

 

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