The Supervisory System Improved

The Communist Party of China （CPC） is committed to its role as Chinas ruling party， particularly in regards to strengthening and upgrading the anti-corruption mechanism that makes up the centerpiece of its anti-graft mission.

Following the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012， the Party intensifi ed its focus on tackling corruption， with a great many offi cials being punished for violating the law and Party rules. While progress has been made in the fight against corruption， the leadership of the CPC continues to place great importance on a strict antigraft mechanism and a well-developed legal system for regulating members of the government. This continued commitment has led the CPC to accelerate the construction of a new anti-graft system to introduce checks and balances on offi cial power. An honest and ethical political environment is a major objective of the Partys anti-graft efforts.

In order to achieve this goal， the CPC has proposed an overhaul of Chinas national supervisory system. This reform comprises two important parts. A section on the supervisory commission was proposed in the form of a constitutional amendment， which was adopted at the First Session of the 13th National Peoples Congress on March 11. In addition， the Supervisory Law was passed， which seeks to define the commissions legal powers by way of a corresponding law.

The supervisory commission is designed to ensure that the actions of all those who hold public office are being observed. The CPCs discipline inspection commissions at various levels already cover all Party members. Those working in the public sector who are not covered by the Partys discipline inspection structure should also be put under scrutiny so that public authorities will truly be accountable for their behavior.

The Party initiated the reform in 2016 when the General Offi ce of the CPC Central Committee revealed plans for pilot schemes to trial reform of the supervisory system in Beijing， as well as Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces. Supervisory commissions were established at various levels in these three regions to provide experience of the systems and mechanisms required in other areas of the country. To date， 31 provincial-level regions have set up supervisory commissions.

This unified， as well as authoritative and highly efficient national supervisory system pools anti-corruption resources. The reform marks a strategic overhaul with a view to stepping up the self-supervision of the Party and state， and will likely have a far-reaching impact on the effi cacy of the Chinese Government.