Deputy secretary of CCDI visits Shanxi

A senior official in China's anti-graft authority has called on all Party organizations in Shanxi to perform their supervisory duties to create a favorable political environment in the corruption-plagued province.

Yang Xiaodu, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, gave a lecture to senior officials in the province at a meeting led by Shanxi Party chief Wang Rulin.

"There is an urgent need for Party organizations at all levels to play their roles in fighting corruption, which are non-delegatable obligations," Yang said, adding that they should earnestly perform their supervisory duties in the campaign.

Yang urged the officials to exercise self-discipline and prevent their families from accepting bribes.

The unusual trip by a senior anti-graft official to Shanxi came four days after one of his close colleagues was appointed deputy head of the discipline inspection commission in Shanxi. The move is seen as bolstering the efforts to clean up rampant corruption in the coal-rich province.

The colleague, Chi Yaoyun was previously head of the Third Inspection Bureau at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China. He has been appointed executive deputy secretary of Shanxi's provincial anti-graft department.

Chi, 49, is a corruption fighter with abundant experience. He worked in China's top anti-graft body after he graduated from the University of Political Science and Law in 1988 and spent 26 years in the forefront of fighting corruption.

The shake-up in Shanxi's leadership began in February. Scores of senior officials were placed under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and law", a euphemism for corruption.

Seven provincial-level officials have been investigated on graft charges in Shanxi since the nationwide anti-graft campaign began in late 2012. They include five members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee. At least nine disciplinary officials have been investigated this year, including four incumbent or former leaders of the province.

Two months ago, Huang Xiaowei, a former vice-minister at the Ministry of Supervision, was appointed a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee and secretary of the provincial commission for discipline inspection. Chi started work in Shanxi shortly after Huang was appointed and became her right-hand man.

In September, Wang, a former Jilin province Party chief, was appointed to the equivalent position in Shanxi province, marking the start of new efforts to clean up the government. Since Wang took office, 15 officials have been placed under investigation.

Xue Lan, a professor of public policy and management at Tsinghua University, said the leadership change will greatly improve the efficiency of anti-graft efforts in Shanxi, where coal resources have bred serious corruption.

Xue said collusion between government officials and businesses had developed into a profit-sharing mechanism.

zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn