China, in holiday mood, again vows war on graft

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

BEIJING, Feb 9 (Reuters) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao today announced measures to check corruption in the lunar new year, one of a series of warnings, targeting red tape, collusion between officials and businessmen, extravagance and waste.

Wen, speaking at an annual State Council anti-graft conference nine days before the start of the Year of the Pig, said there were problems in the drive to build a clean government.

''A series of major corruption cases has been exposed and there is a 'serious' problem of officials abusing their posts or colluding with businessmen to make profits,'' Xinhua news agency quoted Wen as saying.

''A handful of graft cases involving high ranking officials have had a very negative impact on society. Waste and extravagance are rampant among officials and some issues concerning common people's immediate interests remain unsolved.'' A senior Chinese Communist Party leader warned colleagues and government officials last month against ''holiday corruption'', or bribes disguised as traditional gifts.

Communist Party chief and President Hu Jintao seized on the party's 85th anniversary celebrations in June to denounce corruption in the wake of scandals that highlighted abuses among senior officials.

Corruption was all but wiped out in the years after the Communists came to power in 1949 but has made a sweeping comeback since market reforms began in the 1980s.

Wen vowed greater efforts in fighting collusion between officials and businessmen in commercial bribery, especially in cases concerning construction projects, land leases, purchase of pharmaceuticals and exploitation of natural resources.

REUTERS SY RAI1915

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