'Iron discipline' serves corruption watchdog's authority

While China's disciplinary inspectors exert their supervisory power against corrupt officials, it is important to ensure that such power itself is also under supervision.

Zhang Jinan, a senior official with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC disciplinary watchdog, said on Tuesday that the CCDI is working to improve its internal mechanism, establishing a complete system for its own staff's management and regulating the inspectors with "iron disciplines."

The supervision of the supervisors has long been regarded as a "blind zone" in disciplinary enforcement.

Zhang's comments, however, revealed the Party's zero-tolerance approach and authorities' resolve to fight corrupt officials, no matter who they are.

When addressing a CCDI plenary session in January, President Xi Jinping urged "relatively independent and authoritative supervisory power" over disciplinary agencies at all levels.

Only with the supervisory power itself being under strict scrutiny can the exercising of it win public trust and have authority.

It is obvious that the CCDI really means it.

Just three days ago, the CCDI announced that Shen Weichen, Party secretary and executive vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology, is under investigation for suspected disciplinary violations. He is the sixth provincial-level official to be investigated this year.

China's ongoing anti-corruption campaign to hunt both "tigers" and "flies" has seen probes into multiple senior officials, but what makes Shen's case significant is that he is a member of the current 130-strong CCDI. Shen is the highest-level official with the disciplinary supervision system to be probed in the drive so far.

However, it should also be noted that this is not the first time a corrupt official with CCDI background has been put under investigation.

Earlier this year, Jin Daoming, a former local legislator in the northern province of Shanxi, was removed from office on disciplinary grounds.

Jin worked at the CCDI for about 10 years.

Also, Li Chongxi, a sacked former top political advisor in southwest China's Sichuan Province, spent more than a decade working as a local disciplinary inspector.

Among numerous lower-level "flies targeted," the CCDI in February publicized four cases regarding local disciplinary inspectors' violations of Party anti-graft guidelines. The authority also said it will name and shame any profligate disciplinary official.

China has pledged to combat corruption and keep power within the cage of regulations, and the power of the supervisors should be no exception.