Many leading cadres were notified by experts due to the intertwining of political and economic issues
Strengthen supervision and block power and interest exchange channels
□ Our reporter Chen Lei
Recently, the Politburo of the Central Committee held a meeting to study and deploy party style and clean government construction and anti-corruption work in 2021, and pointed out that it resolutely investigates and handles corruption cases that are intertwined with political and economic issues.
According to the statistics reported by the reporter of the "Rules of Law Daily" on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission, a total of 24 party leaders and cadres have been notified of expressions involving "political and economic issues" since the 18th CPC National Congress.
Experts interviewed by a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily said that the interweaving of political and economic issues is a typical law and characteristic of current corruption, and it is also an important reason why the anti-corruption struggle is still serious and complex.
Experts believe that to control this kind of corruption, we must not only improve the reform of the market economy system, so that the government, the market, and society can return to their positions, but also improve the corruption prevention system, set up defense lines for party members and leading cadres, and strengthen the supervision and restriction of power. , Blocking the exchange of power and interests.
Political and economic issues intertwined
Fallen officials turned their backs on their original intentions
Zhang Huirong, the former party secretary and chairman of the Tongchuan CPPCC in Shaanxi Province, was the latest party member leading cadre who was reported to be involved in "political and economic issues".
It is understood that Zhang Huirong is a native of Shenmu, Shaanxi. Before serving as the party secretary and chairman of the Tongchuan CPPCC, he served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Tongchuan Municipal Party Committee and deputy mayor.
In August 2019, Zhang Huirong accepted disciplinary review and supervision investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and State Supervision Commission’s website review and investigation section issued a notice on Zhang Huirong’s party discipline and government sanctions the following month, expelling him from party membership and public office.
The report stated that Zhang Huirong, as a leading cadre of a party member, betrayed his original mission, lost the principles of party spirit, was politically numb, turned a deaf ear to the party Central Committee’s decision-making and deployment, engaged in image projects and political achievements projects, and alienated public power into a tool for private gain, corrupting One party's political ecology.
The notice also stated that he was economically greedy and reckless, and he was entangled with illegal businessmen, both officials and businessmen, engaged in power rent-seeking, engaged in long-term illegal profit-making activities, severely undermining the pro-Qing political and business relations; uncorrupted officials, poor political integrity, political problems Intertwined with economic issues.
On November 13, 2020, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced that Shaanxi’s procuratorial organs prosecuted Zhang Huirong for alleged bribery.
According to statistics from reporters of the Rule of Law Daily, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a total of 24 party members and leading cadres, including Zhang Huirong, have been notified.
Among them, 21 people have been notified since the 19th National Congress of the Party, accounting for nearly 90%.
Recently, the Politburo of the Central Committee held a meeting. One of the agendas was to listen to the work report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission, and to study and deploy the construction of party style and clean government and anti-corruption work in 2021.
The meeting pointed out that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervision Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and local commissions for discipline inspection at all levels have strengthened political supervision on the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decision-making and deployment, enforced discipline and law enforcement with precision and force, and resolutely investigated and dealt with corruption cases involving political and economic issues.
Zhuang Deshui, deputy director of Peking University's Research Center for Integrity Construction, said in an interview with a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily that the interweaving of political and economic issues is a new feature of corruption issues since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. A new understanding of the law of occurrence.
Zhuang Deshui believes that some corrupt officials not only seek illegitimate economic benefits, but also seek greater political power, resulting in corruption that is intertwined with political and economic issues.
It can be seen from this that political issues and economic issues are intertwined, which is actually a typical manifestation of the marketization of power and the politicization of capital.
In Zhuang Deshui’s view, political and economic issues are intertwined, which just shows that the current anti-corruption situation is still severe and complicated. We cannot use the previous anti-corruption ideas and models to solve the current corruption. Instead, we should take corresponding measures based on the characteristics of new corruption. Measures.
Professor Song Wei, director and professor of the Center for Integrity Studies of the University of Science and Technology Beijing, believes that the interweaving of political and economic issues is the typical law and characteristic of current corruption, and it is also an important reason why the current anti-corruption struggle is still serious and complex.
"The Politburo meeting of the Central Committee specifically mentioned this issue. On the one hand, it reflects that the Party Central Committee attaches great importance to such issues and is determined to rectify corruption that is intertwined with political and economic issues. On the other hand, it also shows that such issues are still present. The performance is relatively outstanding and needs to be taken seriously." Song Wei said.
Severe investigation and punishment
Prevent the formation of interest groups
A reporter from the Rule of Law Daily found that the expression "political issues and economic issues are intertwined" did not appear in the party discipline notice before 2017.
On December 28, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to study and deploy the 2017 party style and clean government construction and anti-corruption work.
The meeting pointed out that we must resolutely investigate and punish corruption in which political and economic issues are intertwined, and curb the spread of corruption.
In March 2017, "political issues and economic issues are intertwined" began to appear in the Party Disciplinary Sanction Notice of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which specifically pointed to Li Jia, former member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and former secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee.
The report stated that Li Jia severely violated political discipline and political rules, violated political discipline, formed parties for private interests, formed gangs, and carried out non-organizational activities; severely violated integrity and discipline, condoned and acquiesced to relatives to use his power and influence on his position to seek huge profits and gain power. Color transaction, money transaction, etc.
"As a senior leader of the party, Li Jia has lost his ideals and beliefs and seriously violated the party's discipline. In particular, his political and economic problems are intertwined with bad nature and influence, and the circumstances and consequences are serious." The report stated.
In the following six months, Chen Shulong, the former deputy governor of Anhui Province, and Wei Minzhou, former deputy secretary and deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee, also involved political and economic issues.
In October 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward requirements for anti-corruption work in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is necessary to insist on no forbidden areas, full coverage, zero tolerance, insist on heavy containment, strong pressure, long deterrence, and insist on bribery and bribery investigation together. Resolutely prevent the formation of interest groups within the party.
In January 2018, the Communiqué of the Second Plenary Session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was announced, which stated: "Consolidate and develop the overwhelming momentum of the anti-corruption struggle... Focus on investigating and handling corruption cases where political and economic issues are intertwined to form interest groups."
Song Wei believes that combining the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the communiqué of the Second Plenary Session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the anti-corruption process, it can be seen that the central government’s judgment on this issue has a basis, and the existing cases have fully confirmed it. The intertwined reality of political and economic issues.
"The interest groups formed by the intertwining of political and economic issues first have a negative impact on the political ecology, and secondly, they disrupt the normal operation of the economic order." Song Wei said.
In February 2018, Lu Wei, former deputy director of the Central Propaganda Department and former director of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Office, was expelled from the party and public office for serious violations of discipline.
According to the report, he is a typical example of non-convergence and unawareness after the 18th National Congress of the party, serious concentration of problems, strong reactions from the masses, and intertwined political and economic problems.
According to statistics from the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily, a total of 8 party members and leading cadres were notified as a result of this in 2018, including 3 cadres in the central management and 5 cadres in the provincial management.
In 2019, a total of 6 party members and leading cadres were notified as a result, all of whom were provincial cadres.
Since 2020, a total of 7 party members and leading cadres have been notified as a result, including 2 central management cadres and 5 provincial management cadres.
Song Wei believes that these data can show that the Party Central Committee's severe investigation and punishment of such corruption issues reflects the current anti-corruption focus on key issues.
Establish a sound supervision system
Completely eradicate corrupt soil
The aforementioned Politburo meeting emphasized that the Fifth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of my country made strategic arrangements for China's development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and put forward new requirements for strict party governance, construction of party style and clean government, and anti-corruption struggle.
Accordingly, the discipline inspection and supervision work must adhere to and improve the party and state supervision system, promote the anti-corruption, non-corruption, and non-corruption, and deepen the reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system.
Song Wei believes that in the future anti-corruption work, on the one hand, we must increase the investigation and punishment of related issues, and will not tolerate corruption cases that are intertwined with political and economic issues; on the other hand, we must strengthen the restriction and supervision of power to ensure Public power runs on the track of the rule of law.
Song Wei suggested that the first is to further strengthen the supervision of the "critical minority" leading cadres and standardize the operation of power; the second is to enhance the effectiveness of system construction, reduce opportunities for corruption, and eradicate the soil for corruption; third, to further promote the reform of the administrative system and improve the management system. The business environment is to block the transmission chain of political and economic issues; fourth, to further increase the punishment of such corruption issues, and severely deal with corrupt elements with serious circumstances, and play a powerful warning role.
In Zhuang Deshui’s view, from a macro perspective, we should improve the market economy system, deepen market reforms, let the government, market, and society return to their respective positions, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, and reduce government power’s impact on the market. Intervention.
Zhuang Deshui suggested that a series of related corruption prevention systems should be introduced, such as supervising and restricting the relatives, spouses and children of party members and leading cadres, on the one hand, managing the power of party members and leading cadres, and on the other hand, managing the people around them.
"At the same time, improve the communication system for party members and leading cadres, keep a close eye on the life circle, circle of friends, and work circle of leading cadres, and set up a line of defense for party members and leading cadres to prevent being hunted." Zhuang Deshui said, "such as the implementation of avoidance mechanisms, The reporting mechanism for major events blocks the exchange of power and interests."
Zhuang Deshui believes that from the perspective of national governance, we should establish and improve the party and state supervision system, promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities, and effectively solve the corruption problem intertwined with political and economic issues.
The occurrence of this kind of corruption has economic factors as well as political factors. It is necessary to raise the political awareness of party members and leading cadres and attach importance to the construction of party style and clean government. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies must also promote the construction of party style and clean government from a political perspective. Block the channel between economic interests and political power.