China’s investigators to root out corruption through tougher action against bribers
Chinese prosecutors say they are entering the next phase in the battle against graft
The mainland's top prosecuting agency has vowed to go harder on those who offer bribes in its bid to root out corruption.
"[Prosecutors] should reinforce investigations into people who initiate the offering of bribes to curb the spread of bribe offering [and] to cut the causes of bribe taking," Qiu Xueqiang, deputy head of the agency, said on Thursday, according to the official .
The Supreme People's Procuratorate operates the state's anti-corruption agency that is responsible for criminal investigation and prosecution, alongside the Communist Party's internal graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which used to be more focused on internal interrogations of corrupted cadres.
The new approach came as the CCDI launched a function on its mobile app for whistleblowers to report officials by uploading photos of them abusing public funds for personal use.
Observers welcomed the move to target those who offer bribes, saying it could help to stem corruption at its roots.
"Bribers are a major source of the spread of corruption," said Zhuang Deshui, an anti-corruption expert at Peking University.
