CCDI hires special inspectors

China's top watchdog announced on Saturday that it has hired 40 experts including artists and athletes as special inspectors to supervise its work in another move that signals the Chinese government's determination to crack down on graft.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s most important oversight body, and the Ministry of Supervision, listed on its official website names of the special inspectors, including Peking Opera artist Yu Kuizhi and former Olympic shooting champion Wang Yifu.

Inspectors are expected to play important roles in offering suggestions, serving as "bridges" between the Party and the people, promoting anti-graft campaign and supervising on CCDI's activities, according to Huang Shuxian, Minister of Supervision.

Zhou Shuzhen, a political science professor with the Renmin University of China, told the Beijing Times that the selection process of the inspectors is very strict.

"CCDI evaluates every candidates' capability, character, as well as that person's influence in his or her field," said Zhou.

Fang Ning, director of the Institute of Political Science at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who also serves as one of CCDI's special inspectors, told the Global Times on Sunday that experts from various fields could provide opinions from different perspectives.

"Inspectors can supervise on CCDI's work as well as inspect on those who are under watch of the CCDI," said Fang.

CCDI has also come up with new rules on special inspectors, which went into effect on Friday.

According to the new rules, special inspectors who neglect their duty and abuse their power or reveal confidential information will be subjected to punishment.

Those who fail to attend inspection activities or break the Party discipline will be removed from their inspector posts immediately.

The new rule also extends the inspector term from three years to five years, and stipulates that each expert can serve two terms at most.

CCDI has made many bold moves this year, including opening an official website in September, revealing the organizational structure of the once secretive anti-graft body for the first time in history.

In the first month since it was launched on September 2, there were 24,800 tip-offs - more than 800 each day. In comparison there were an average 300 reports a day between April and August.

CCDI's new moves are in line with China's anti-graft campaign, which Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Party will take down both "tigers and flies."

Meanwhile, the second batch of inspectors which were divided into 10 groups have started inspections in designated organs, according to CCDI.

The inspectors have been sent to Xinhua News Agency, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Commerce, China Three Gorges Corporation, and the provinces of Shanxi, Jilin, Anhui, Hunan, Guangdong and Yunnan.

The second inspection will focus on violations such as power-for-money deals, bribery and corruption and influence-peddling, according to CCDI.