Beijing's zealous anti-graft drive
By Willy Wo-Lap Lam CNN Senior China Analyst
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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- The administration of President Hu Jinatao is promoting clean and efficient government by beefing up its campaign against corruption and mismanagement, Xinhua News agency reported.
Monday's report says at least one ministerial-level cadre is penalized every month, including 12 high ranking officials in 2003.
Two ministerial-level officials were fired owing to their mishandling of the SARS outbreak last April, and several senior naval officers were sacked or demoted after the sinking of a submarine in May.
Among the 12 senior officials nabbed and punished were well-known names: former Communist party secretaries of Hebei and Guizhou provinces, Cheng Weigao and Liu Fangren, former Yunnan governor Li Jiating, as well as the former Minister of Land and Natural Resources Tian Fengshan.
'Officials of the masses'
The crackdown on tough cases left over from former leader Jiang Zemin's presidency is percieved as a sign of resolution from the new leadership of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Hu.
A commentary in the official journal Eastern Outlook pointed out that "while the new leadership is considerate toward the masses, it is harsh and austere with officials who are corrupt or who have failed to do their duty."
It is understood that since the new Hu-Wen team has staked their reputation on being "officials of the masses," fighting corruption is an effective means to gain recognition and popularity.
Opinion polls have consistently shown that most Chinese are concerned about the widening gap between rich and poor, particularly the discrepancy between ordinary people and officials who have prospered through illegal means.
Diplomatic analysts in Beijing have indicated, however, that the Hu-Wen leadership has often come up against mighty obstacles in penalizing big-time corrupt officials.
For example, well-connected cadres such as Hebei's Cheng were merely kicked out of the Communist Party, meaning they did not have to face criminal charges in court.
And investigation into several big cases the past year, including that of the alleged corrupt deals of Shanghai real-estate tycoon Zhou Zhengyi, has been bogged down because of political interference by powerful party factions.
