China - Corruption must be punished, discipline must be strictly upheld: People's Daily

The decisions to expel Zhou Yongkang from the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as investigate and arrest him demonstrated that the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping as the general secretary, has resolved to uphold the Party's unity and punish corruption, said a commentary to be carried by Saturday's People's Daily.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday decided to expel Zhou Yongkang from the CPC and transfer the details of his suspected crimes to judicial organs to be handled in accordance with the law.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) also decided to open an investigation into Zhou Yongkang's suspected crimes and to arrest him according to the law.

The decisions showed that the CPC sticks to the principle that everyone is equal before the law and nothing is off-limits in fighting corruption, the People's Daily commentary said.

"The decisions highlighted that the CPC persists in the belief of safeguarding the people's fundamental interests," the commentary said. "The decisions won approval from the Party and the people."

Zhou's conduct deviated from the Party's nature and purpose, greatly damaged the Party's image and caused huge losses for the cause of the Party and the people, the commentary said. "The impacts are extremely bad."

The resolute decisions of the CPC Central Committee guarded Party discipline and the socialist rule of law, the commentary noted.

"The Party and corruption are like water and fire," the commentary said. "The Party's nature and purpose require persistent combat against corruption. Upholding the Party's leadership and cementing the Party's ruling also require persistent combat against corruption."

Since the 18th Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping as the general secretary, has shown no tolerance nor mercy toward corruption, demonstrating that strict management of the Party is not a slogan and punishment of corruption has no exception, the commentary said.

"We need to advance the anti-corruption drive through the investigation of Zhou's serious violations of Party discipline. We must stick to the attitude of no tolerance, the resolve of strong treatment, the courage to scrape poison from the bones, and the measure of severe punishment," the commentary said.

"All corruption will be fought and each vice will be eradicated," the commentary added.

Fighting corruption and upholding Party discipline are demonstrations of the Party's power and common wishes of all Party members, the commentary said.

All Party organizations and members, especially leading cadres at all levels, must make sure the whole Party stays in accordance with the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping as the general secretary, in thought, in politics and in action, the commentary said.

"As we continue fighting corruption in a strong and tough attitude, managing the Party in strict accordance with regulations, and constantly strengthening the ability of self-improvement, the Party will always be the strong core of leadership of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics," the commentary said.