Anti-graft war fought under bright lights

The once secretive anti-graft agency of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has started to walk in the Internet sunlight, playing a starring role in China's war on corruption.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the CPC has become a major font of information since an official website came online in Sept. 2013. Details of 32 cases of official corruption have been narrated on its website, including the cases of the former vice Party chief of Sichuan Li Chuncheng and former head of the state-owned assets commission Jiang Jiemin.

Apart from the site's informative function, it is a vital platform for the public to report perceived wrongdoings: 74,049 cases have been reported through the website in the past eight months.

The website was proposed by commission head Wang Qishan and demonstrates how to tipoff the CCDI through simple diagrams that make it easy for whistleblowers.

Corruption was once regarded as a sensitive issue and the anticorruption force was cloaked in secrecy with no channels for public contact. To renew both the work and image of the inspectorate, an online forum was created. More than 5,000 pieces of feedback were offered in just a few days after the CCDI asked for opinions on the anticorruption drive.

"Sunshine is the best sanitizer and openness is the best fortress against corruption," said netizen "Weilewodezuguo" on the website.

"Corruption is not a Party matter; it is important to the whole of society," said Xin Ming of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC. The Party is trying to draw on public strength and give the people another channel to make their voice heard.

While admitting to the role of the website in fighting corruption, Xin also stressed the importance of all kinds of online whistleblowing.

"The CCDI website is the main battlefield but it can't replace the whole Internet," he said, referring to online exposure on various forms on social media.

Before the establishment of the CCDI website, several officials had been felled by online whistleblowers. Liu Tienan, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was investigated after a journalist disclosed his suspicions on the Internet. Yang Dacai, former head of Shaanxi provincial work safety administration, was exposed after netizens posted a photograph of him smiling at the scene of a fatal road accident and then a series of photos showing him wear luxury watches.

Despite easier corruption exposure, experts warn of problems brought about by mischievous tipoffs or slander online.

"Rather than providing concrete clues for investigation, some use the channels as an emotional release which may disrupt the drive against corruption," said Zhang Shaolong of the CCDI.