Time to target grassroots corruption

Wang Qishan (C), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attends a meeting on anti-graft inspection in Beijing, capital of China, Feb 23, 2016. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

No one is immune to disciplinary investigation, and that includes the deputies of the people's congresses at all levels, said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, at a news conference on Friday.

Just an hour before the briefing, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, the country's top anti-graft watchdog, announced the investigation of Wang Min, former Party chief of Northeast China's Liaoning province, for suspected serious violations of Party discipline.

Corruption in local governments has dealt a heavy blow to the image of the Communist Party of China, and also harmed people's legitimate interests. It thus calls for more concerted efforts to prevent abuse of power at all levels.

If they are proved to be corrupt, both senior officials, the so-called "tigers", and lower-level public servants, known as "flies", should be punished according to their misdeeds. While the former are often far removed from the daily lives of most people, lower-level officials can give people a hard time, not only making life miserable but also posing a threat to people's legal interests.

The ongoing nationwide anti-graft campaign is key to ensuring that people from all walks of life are granted access to the dividends of the country's growth, especially when it comes to medical services, education, employment, and food and drug safety.

It is worth noting that there are also loopholes that breed corruption when local authorities have the biggest say in managing collective funds, assets, and resources even in remote villages.

Some have little respect for the rule of law and indulge in a variety of power abuses, such as selling reserved land to property developers and taking bribes from the developers to validate their illegal occupation and construction. Such misappropriation of public resources not only infringes on local residents' legitimate interests but also tarnishes the ruling Party's political image.