Anti-graft chief sends strong warning to corrupt officials  

王岐山在中央纪委四次全会上发表讲话

Chinese ruling party's chief discipline inspector Wang Qishan Saturday promised to fight corruption like "treating sick trees" and "rooting up rotten ones".

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is facing a severe and complicated situation in curbing corruption, warned Wang at the fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The Party is still unable to completely root up the sources of harmful working practice so it may be difficult to prevent them from reemerging, said Wang, secretary of the CCDI.

Despite fierce anti-graft initiatives, there are still officials who refuse to stop their wrongdoings and even step them up, he said.

Wang promised that discipline inspection agencies remain committed to anti-graft tasks, "staying clear-headed, having strong political anchoring, keeping faith and resolve".

"Any corrupt officials who go back to their old ways will pay the price," he said. "We will keep pressing the anti-graft campaign, treating sick trees and rooting up rotten ones."

The campaign will curb current corruption, clear out the sources of corruption and establish an effective system to prevent it, Wang said.

At Saturday's meeting, the CCDI discussed how to implement the blueprint of legal reform in anti-corruption work. The plan was adopted at the fourth plenary session of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday.