Red Alert: “Fighting tigers, smashing flies and hunting foxes, upgraded to Sky-net”: intensify efforts against corruption

Well, if you wondered what the title of this Red Alert is all about, that is the Chinese government’s programme to clamp down on corruption. By tigers it is meant senior officials above ministerial or provincial levels, including, senior officials and leaders of the governing party – the Chinese Communist Party’s (CPC’s) Central Committee, Politburo who are found to be corrupt. As well as their counterparts in the private sector.

Widely-known “tigers” are Zhou Yongkang – former member of Standing Committee of CPC Politburo; Xu Caihou – former Vice President of the Central Military Commission and Politburo member; Ling Jihua – former Minister of the General Office of CPC Central Committee. They were all investigated punished, according to the presentations we received as South African Communist Party (SACP) delegation during our cadre development and local economic development visit to China in June. As can be seen, the military is not excluded from this anti-corruption campaign. On 15 January, 16 general levels officers were investigated. On 2 March, 14.

By flies it is meant officials below the above-mentioned levels.

The names of those investigated are widely published in the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The commission does not wait for allegations to conduct its work. At any time any official can be inspected for adherence to discipline. There is therefore a distinction between discipline inspection and investigation for wrongdoing. Discipline inspection is a proactive, preventive measure. Investigation for wrongdoing is a responsive instrument.

According to the presentations, between 6 December 2012 to 11 April 2014, 285 officials falling under the category “flies” were published on the CCDI website for their violation of Party discipline – which is stricter than the law, or for their violation of the law. On average, 4, 423 officials had their wrongdoings published on the CCDI website on an average of 14 people per week. And there are serious consequences resulting from this.

By foxes it is meant criminal suspects who flee to other countries. From July to December 2012, 680 foxes were hunted down. About 74 of them committed crimes involving hundreds of millions of yuan – Chinese currency. The hunt for foxes was upgraded to Sky-net. Under Sky-net, the hunt is carried out from the sky, if needs be from the space through any necessary intelligence methods and equipment.

On 4 August, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that Wu Fusheng (51) the chairman of a machine making company, China First Heavy Industries, committed suicide while under discipline inspection by the CCDI. He was reportedly found hanging in his office in Qiqihar city in the Heilongjiang province at about midnight on 2 August.

What can progressive and left political movements and governments learn from all this?

There is no doubt that we need our own “Fighting tigers, smashing flies and hunting foxes” in South Africa. The rest of the world’s progressive and revolutionary movement too!

Alex Mashilo is SACP Spokesperson, and writes in his own capacity as Fulltime Professional Revolutionary.

This article first appeared in Umsebenzi Online, the online journal of the SACP.