Anti-graft task forces adding members and publicizing their plans for reform

China's local anti-graft watchdogs are beefing up their task forces to meet the increasing demand of fighting corruption.

At least 11 of the Chinese mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have publicized their reform plans as of Monday and nearly all 11 have increased the number of anti-graft members.

The move is in line with the requirement of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft body, which urged provincial disciplinary authorities to complete structural reforms by the end of this year.

The latest reform plan was released on Saturday by the Hainan provincial disciplinary and inspection commission, which announced it had established two additional disciplinary inspection offices.

The provincial commission also created a new department to supervise anti-graft officials. After its reforms, the number of anti-graft staff members accounted for 64 percent of all commission members.

The commission also shuttered a department and merged four offices into one in an effort to improve work efficiency. The total number of commission workers has not been increased, it said.

On May 15, the Sichuan provincial disciplinary and inspection commission increased the number of disciplinary inspection offices from four to nine. Three senior provincial level officials in Sichuan have been investigated since the Party's new leadership was elected in November 2012.

Many other provincial commissions have increased the number of disciplinary inspection offices and established new departments to supervise anti-graft officials.

The reform plans of provincial authorities are essentially mirroring the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's moves in March to add more than 100 officials to disciplinary posts as part of an effort to enhance supervision.

Yang Xiaodu, deputy secretary of the central commission, said on May 26 during an online interview that disciplinary authorities should attach greater importance to anti-graft efforts in the process of structural reform.

Provincial anti-graft bodies should finish their reforms by the end of this year and lower-ranking disciplinary authorities in prefecture and county levels should finish reforms by next year and by 2016, he said.

Zhou Shuzhen, a professor of public administration with Renmin University of China, said the anti-graft campaign is likely to be enhanced along with the reform of disciplinary bodies.

China's anti-graft authorities have enhanced their supervision of corrupt activities in recent years, and at least 27 ministerial level officials have been investigated since November 2012.

On Saturday, it was announced that Su Rong, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, was under investigation for suspected grave violations of discipline and the law. Su is the highest ranking official to be investigated since November 2012.

As of Monday, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's website has publicized the names of 283 officials who were investigated on charges of corruption this year.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn