'Overwhelming victory' seen in fight against corruption

China's fight against corruption has won an "overwhelming victory", and multiple reforms are helping to control and prevent graft starting from the source, according to a blue book released on Friday.

The latest version of Blue Book of Combating Corruption and Upholding Integrity, compiled by the China Anti-Corruption Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, concluded that while corruption has been decreasing and effectively curbed across the country, the crackdown's momentum and strength have remained unchanged.

China's anti-graft bodies investigated 302,000 corruption-related cases and punished 240,000 people in the first half of this year. The total number of cases probed is expected to surpass that of 2017－527,000－and achieve growth for the sixth year in a row, the book said.

"The overall trend of the anti-corruption campaign is getting better and better," said Jiang Laiyong, the book's executive editor. "Our survey showed that 80 percent of urban and rural residents believed corruption has been reduced over the past year."

The book pointed out that the number of officials who were investigated for suspected graft has decreased since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Sixteen officials directly under the management of the CPC Central Committee's organization department, most at or above ministerial level, were investigated between November and August, compared with an average of 88 such people each year between the 18th CPC National Congress in November 2012 and October last year, according to the book.

It also said the deepening reforms have helped control and prevent corruption and other unhealthy trends at the source, and official power has been more constrained this year.

"Reforms of financial management, the audit system and the oversight system have been carried out steadily. We've seen a more transparent budget system, and the number of inspections and efficiency of anti-corruption work have also increased," said Jiang, who is also the secretary-general of the research center.

He said the anti-corruption efforts have also been a feature in protecting people's interests and alleviating poverty, which has won people's favor.

Apart from detailing the progress of China's anti-corruption campaign, the book also called for making the building of an honest and upright country a national strategy, and made such recommendations as incorporating corruption crimes into the country's credit system.

Wang Jingqing, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the book objectively documents the development of Party discipline.

"Purity is the essential attribute of the Party, and a clean government is the philosophy and the goal of the Party's governance of the country," he said. "We must actively take steps to make new achievements in building up an honest and upright China."