China fast-tracks anti-corruption legislation

Lawmakers should speed up legislation work on the Anti-Corruption Law, a policy document of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said on Tuesday.

In a decision on rule of law adopted last week and published on Tuesday, the CPC Central Committee said national anti-graft legislation should be introduced as quickly as possible and the system of sanctions and prevention improved; the goal being a mechanism which means "government officials dare not, cannot and do not want to be corrupt".

The development comes as China's anti-corruption campaign against both high-ranking "tigers" and lowly "flies" continues apace. Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, has confessed to taking bribes and his case will now go to trial.

According to the central committee decision, legislation on punishments for embezzlement and bribery must be streamlined, with prosecutors looking beyond money and property to include other benefits in their investigations.

The decision also pushed lawmakers to make quicker progress in legislation regarding terrorism and the environment.

Lawmakers should ensure that all major reform is legally grounded, and any law that runs contrary to reform should be modified or abolished, the decision said.