BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Renewed attention has been drawn to the anti-corruption drive of the Communist Party of China (CPC) amid an ongoing investigation of Bo Xilai over serious discipline violations, as well as the transfer of his wife to judicial authorities over suspicions of homicide.
The CPC Central Committee has made a resolute decision to thoroughly investigate related events and release information in a timely manner, a manifestation of its high sense of responsibility to the causes of the Party and the people.
The move also demonstrates the CPC's determination to safeguard the socialist rule of law, to investigate and handle every discipline violation and never tolerate corruption, in order to ensure the purity of the Party.
Based on the facts made public so far, the Wang Lijun incident is a serious political event that has created an adverse influence both at home and abroad, the death of Neil Heywood is a serious criminal case involving the kin and aides of a Party and state leader, and Bo has seriously violated Party discipline.
Observers have stated that the handling of related events has demonstrated the Party's willingness to strictly enforce Party discipline and law, as well as improve supervision of leading officials.
So far, the CPC has formulated regulations on supervision, disciplinary sanctions and the protection of Party members, as well as regulations for clean governance standards, accountability rules for leading officials and for leading officials reporting on personal matters.
There are also laws on administrative supervision, civil service and administrative permission, which have restrained Party members and officials from abusing their power.
China is in the midst of a social transitional process and it is a crucial test for the CPC to ensure the purity of the Party's officials.
At a time of profound changes in global, national and intra-Party conditions, the CPC is facing long-term tests in governing the country, in reform and opening up and in developing China's market economy, as well as tests from the external environment. The Party is also being confronted with the danger of a slackened spirit, incompetence, divorced relations from the people, inactivity and corruption.
The CPC has recognized that to serve the people in a whole-hearted, practical, honest and clean manner, the ruling party has to ensure that power is exercised in an appropriate way. It also has to restrict and supervise its power and conduct the power-wielding process under great scrutiny.
The process must be kept under supervision because all power belongs to the people and is subject to restriction and supervision by the people. Supervising the use of power means that the entire process must be effectively restricted and supervised. Those in power should be concerned about and held responsible for the results of their usage of power.
China will have to ensure full implementation of rules and regulations, which requires strengthened leadership by the CPC, enhanced anti-graft measures, and a system to scrutinize the accountability of all official as well as Party and government organs.
The investigation into Bo, a former member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, itself serves as a declaration to all Party members that no matter what position one holds, Party members shall never place themselves over Party discipline and the law, nor shall they ignore the basic fact that power is conferred by the people and should be exercised for them.
No one should leave it to chance that they can take advantage of power to seek personal gain without being punished. In this sense, the investigation into Bo's disciplinary violations can be interpreted as a move to better supervise the use of power.
