Prosecutors vow to clamp down on corruption

Cao Jianming, China's procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), delivers a report on the SPP's work during the third plenary meeting of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2013. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Prosecutors nationwide this year will resolutely clamp down on corruption among officials and intensify international cooperation to hunt those who fled abroad, a top procurator said on Monday.

In 2013, procuratorial organs nationwide handled 37,551 cases of graft, bribery and dereliction of duty, involving 51,306 people, an increase of 9.4 percent and 8.4 percent year-on-year, said Cao Jianming, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the country's highest prosecution body.  [Special coverage]

There has also been a sharp increase in high-level officials involved in such cases. A total of 253 officials above bureau chief level and eight ministerial level officials were investigated for graft, up by 41 percent and 60 percent, Cao said while making a work report to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

Procuratorial organs have also intensified efforts to capture corrupt officials who fled and to recover their ill-gotten gains. Cao said 10.14 billion yuan ($1.65 billion) of dirty money and property was recovered and 762 corruption crime suspects were captured at home and abroad last year.

"This year, we'll continue probing such job-related crimes … and intensify cooperation with the international community to chase those who fled abroad in fear of corruption investigation," he said.