Tighter cadre supervision urged(2)

Using asset declaration as an example, Lin said the practice has to take a top-to-bottom approach to convince officials at all levels that no one should be an exception.

Long Yuanfu, 49, a lawyer in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, said Party members should be judged by whether they truly serve the people, or instead seek personal gain from power. 

Top leaders recently said power should be exercised within the body of regulations, and forceful anti-graft efforts will sweep both "flies" and "tigers", referring to both low- and high-ranking officials.

Long said he expected to see the fall of more officials in frequent anti-graft campaigns in the coming years, but tackling the deep-rooted problem requires more substantial reforms in the judicial system and political arena. 

He estimated it will take 10 years for China to build the legislative and juridical framework that can put corruption in check. 

Long said lawyers like him have been tasked with pushing forward the process by fighting for social justice in individual cases, and promoting awareness and discussions about the proper exercise of power.

Li Chengyan, a professor who specializes in clean-government studies at Peking University, said expelling unqualified Party members demonstrates the determination to fight corruption.

Top leaders indicated they will institutionalize the supervision of power and anti-graft efforts, rather than rely on political campaigns, which, as shown in the past, could be overdone or achieve little results, Li said.

Earlier media reports raised concerns about the weakness of local disciplinary watchdogs, which avoided disclosing penalties to disgraced officials involved in corruption scandals.

Li said it is understandable that authorities needed considerable time to investigate cases and release their final decisions.

Authorities need to enhance their transparency and public accountability, as more cases are exposed by online whistle-blowers, Li said.