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Opinion | China's resolve to root out corruption must not flag

Hu Shuli says the government must not give in to voices of caution. Without controlling graft, the reforms it seeks will get nowhere

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Wang Qishan, party secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Photo: AFP

Since assuming power, China's new leadership has focused on curbing official excess, enforcing discipline and combating corruption. Its latest crackdown on graft, especially, has been the fiercest and most sustained since reforms began over three decades ago.

The campaign has overwhelming public support. But how long will it last? Regular Chinese are asking the question; so, too, are corrupt officials whose misdeeds have not yet been exposed. Meanwhile, criticisms of the campaign are starting to emerge.

It was against this backdrop that Wang Qishan, party secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the anti-graft watchdog, instructed departments at party headquarters and ministries to resolutely punish corrupt officials, especially those who persist in their wrongdoing.

We couldn't agree more. Now's not the time to loosen the grip. The authorities must keep the campaign high-pressure and high-profile - this is the best way to clear obstacles to comprehensive reforms.

The economic and social causes of corruption in China are complex. Eradicating it is not easy. Nonetheless, recent success in taking down both the "tigers" and the "flies" (high-ranking and low-level officials) has boosted confidence and given the public hope.

The latest crackdown is notable in several ways.

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