Fighting Corruption in China: Methods, Experience

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The President of Russia at one of the last press conferences said a phrase that immediately became popular: "If the money is wasted, then this is not corruption." Of course, it is difficult to disagree with this, there is logic in this phrase, but there is little joy in such an answer. Against the backdrop of recent high-profile corruption scandals with the former minister Ulyukaev, governors, deputies, only the lazy in our country did not seem to talk about theft. Almost everyone is sure that corruption is bad for the country, society, state. What are we to do with her? When answering this question, most cite as an example the methods of combating corruption in China. In what they manifest themselves, we all know. The fight against corruption in China is accompanied by execution. Is it so? Is it true that in the Celestial Empire they are completely exterminated for the slightest manifestation of embezzlement? Let's try to understand this issue. For Russia, this issue is relevant, perhaps, at all times.

The origins of corruption: mentality or tradition?

Let's be honest, which of us has neverthanked the person for the help? Do you mean not a specific payment, according to the contract, but gratitude, from the bottom of your heart? For example, doctors, for a successful operation, teachers for good preparation for final exams? We agree that the majority in our society considers this normal. Don't we think that in this way we not only support corruption, but create it? Of course, many now will not agree with this. However, the fact remains. Imagine that the hospital paid for an appointment, but there was a rich businessman before us. For good work, for which he already gave his money to the cashier, he made a gift "from the heart" in the form of expensive alcohol. In the minds of the staff there is a stereotype that "it's necessary", it's "normal". And when a less rich person comes, who also paid the same amount to the cashier, but did not give a gift “from the heart”, he will have a completely different attitude. And it's also good that the staff, who certainly like the principle "from the heart", will not begin to hint at such acts of goodwill. There are cases when staff openly beg for "thank you".

You might think that this information has nothing to do with our topic "The fight against corruption in China as an example for Russia." However, it is not. The fact is that the origins of corruption are deepened by their roots in history. This is a tradition of all Eastern peoples, including Russians, as the successors of the Eastern way of Byzantium and the Golden Horde.

The history of 1585 clearly demonstrates the difference in the mentality and traditions of East and West. An aristocrat from Austria came to the Turkish Sultan Murad III. He was not well acquainted with the traditions of the East and did not bring a gift to the reception. As a result, the act was regarded as disrespectful. The Austrian ambassador was beaten with sticks and thrown into prison.

Corruption in China has also evolved from a mentality of thanking, encouraging for help. As early as 2006, CCP Chairman Hu Jintao described the phenomenon as "a landmine laid under social foundations." The fight against corruption in China has begun.

The arrival of Xi Jinping: the beginning of the war on bribery

In 2012, Xi Jinping became the Chairman of the Communist Party in China. He prioritized his policies. The fight against corruption in China (photo of those convicted for this below) is becoming a priority.

Code for officials from Xi Jinping

First of all, Chinese officials were given a list of 8 items. Everyone had to learn them by heart and observe unquestioningly. It reflected the rules for officials:

1. Rejection of solemnity and formalism. Many high-ranking officials and governors love oriental magnificent celebrations. Red carpets, meetings with the people, where it is customary to give gifts to bureaucrats. All this is accompanied by flowers, songs, applause, expensive banquets. Naturally, all this is paid for from state budgets.
2. Refusing to take part in any commercial activities such as laying stones, attending conferences, cutting opening ribbons, etc.
3. Minimizing travel abroad. Reducing the staff of assistants,escorts, if needed.
4. Documentation and explanation in a language understandable to ordinary citizens.
5. Refusal to block roads, streets for the passage of motorcades.
6. Rejection of unnecessary PR. Appearing in news feeds, broadcasts only when absolutely necessary.
7. Rejection of publications, autobiographies, instructive books, etc.
8. Savings. Do not subscribe to cars, apartments, tours, etc.

However, officials took it as a joke, demagogy. No one seriously thought that the new Chairman was not going to joke. They did not yet know that a serious fight against corruption was announced in China. “Either high morale, or execution” is the main idea of the new strategy. Of course, the death pen alty existed before. However, Xi Jinping has seriously changed all the methods of fighting corruption in China. We will briefly talk about them a little later.

Economic banquet is a signal for officials

After the 8-point "Code of Rules", the new Chairman made it clear that he was serious. In China, it is a tradition to hold constant banquets among high officials. The Chairman himself appears on them. Banquets are distinguished by unheard of luxury: they serve dishes prepared in the best seafood restaurants, expensive wines, cigars, cigarettes, costing tens of dollars per pack, etc. Almost everything on the tables remains after the celebrations. It hit the budget colossally.

Xi Jinping ordered only 4 courses and soup to be served. Officials were discouraged. Many of them understood what was to come.serious fight against corruption in China.

Savings on banquets for top Chinese officials de alt a severe blow to businesses that were focused on it.

Results of "banquet savings"

The number of banquets decreased by 30 percent in the first year of the Chairman's tenure.

We saved money not only on traditional dinners and lunches. Sales of tickets for first-class air travel also fell by 10 percent, and luxury sales fell by 20-30 percent. The volume of elite vodka "Maotai", which was bought only by officials, also decreased. The price of one bottle is approximately 600-700 USD.

The first results of 2013 gave their results. Budget savings amounted to about $40 billion. And these are just the federal budget figures. The total savings at all levels amounted to about $160 billion.

So what was the fight against corruption in China? Was it only by threats and instructions of dishonest officials that they managed to rein in? No. China's anti-corruption practices are much more severe.

Execution is the death pen alty for corrupt officials

The highest pen alty for officials caught taking a bribe is execution. However, there are many myths that are common in our country. The first of them - in China, everyone without exception is put up against the wall for theft. This, to put it mildly, is not entirely true.

Fighting corruption in China: 10,000 executed

Indeed, for the entire period of the anti-corruption policy of the state over 16 years, more than 10 thousand people were sentenced to capital punishment. However, these figures need comments:

1. China has 70 million officials. For a large population, this figure is small. China is in 26th place in the ranking in terms of the percentage of the number of officials of all able-bodied citizens - 8.8%. For comparison, Russia is in the top five with a score of 30%. For a huge staff of 70 million officials, accustomed to traditional types of gifts, encouragement to shoot 10,000 in 10 years seems an insignificant figure.
2. For example, in just one year, the fight against corruption in China (2015) led to the fact that more than 330 thousand cases were filed. Those. in just one year, a third of the ten-year figure should have been shot.

Sentencing does not mean shooting

We must not forget one circumstance in Chinese law: to sentence to death does not mean to shoot. It is envisaged that the execution of the sentence can be postponed. The deadlines for execution, however, are not regulated. This means that, having received capital punishment, you can expect execution all your life, without waiting for it. China's "bloody" experience in the fight against corruption during the reign of Xi Jinping showed that not a single "tiger" was shot for theft, i.e. high-ranking official. On average, officials who take bribes receive about 12-16 years for theircrimes.

Hence the conclusion: the mass execution of all dishonest officials in China is a myth. The death pen alty, of course, is used, but only in exceptional cases, as a rule, as a demonstration lesson for the rest.

Capital punishment does not mean execution

Today, execution is rarely used in China. It is replaced with an injection. This is due to two reasons:

1. Humanity. China has often been accused of brutality.
2. Donation. Often, after the execution, the Chinese carried the corpses to medical institutions where organs were removed. This business is booming in the country. Organs are bought in other countries for substantial sums. The injection often makes it impossible to remove the heart and other important organs.

Reasons for exemplary fight against corruption

Anti-corruption policy is not accidentally associated with the early 2000s. This happened for two reasons:

1. Economic growth has slowed down by this time. It turned out that behind the magnificent Olympics in Beijing, the Asian Games in Guangzhou, the Universiade in Shenzhen, deep-seated crisis problems are hidden, the main cause of which is large-scale corruption.
2. The growth of the Internet. In the era of the “global village”, as many journalists and politicians call the Network, it is very difficult to hide corruption “holes”. People will not believe the precepts of Mao, Lenin, Confucius, if their slogans hide billions in bank accounts with officials. Any failed photoshop of non-existent checks, accident on son's expensive cara low-paid official, holidays on expensive yachts surrounded by fashion models - all this is put on public display.

War on corruption or opposition?

People who are called to introduce execution for corruption in our country need to think about whether dishonest officials will really hide behind the executions? Will these measures lead to a legal way to get rid of political opposition? At least, this is what most political scientists who study the experience of fighting corruption in China are leaning towards.

The slogan "kill flies and tigers" proclaimed by Xi Jinping showed that anyone can be shot, regardless of their income. Everyone is equal before the bullet. Almost all officials in China are involved in bribery. It is often political rivals who receive sentences.

Media as a method of fighting corruption

At one of the recent speeches of our president, an idea was voiced related to the high-profile case of Ulyukaev. Putin said that there is no need to create a show in the media from corruption cases.

The experience of fighting corruption in China shows that, on the contrary, wide publicity in the media gives positive results. The whole anti-corruption company in China is doing two things:

1. Bring to all officials what they might “not carry through”, and they might be the next on the list of the executed.
2. Restore trust in the government in society.

Based on the above goals, the main task is to create an aura around corruption casestelevision show. Officials are openly removed from all posts, articles about their “dirty deeds” are published in the media, reports are being made from luxurious mansions, luxury cars are presented to the masses that cannot be bought with a regular salary. In the final it ends with demonstration executions. Of course, mass executions on TV are rarely seen as they used to be, and the execution itself is rarely practiced. It is replaced by lethal injection. Many specialized medical facilities have been built for these purposes.

The results of the fight against corruption

So, what did the fight against corruption in China give? Statistics for 2015 alone show that there were about 34,000 violations detected. Of these, more than 8,000 cases were brought to court for using one's official position for personal purposes, and more than 5,000 for receiving valuable gifts. Violations related to the use of official vehicles for personal purposes also reach the court. There were about 5.5 thousand such cases in 2015. About 4.5 thousand officials were punished for organizing too lavish banquets, weddings, funerals of relatives, etc. More than 500 thousand people suffered for the organization of entertainment establishments and clubs. More than 2.5 thousand answered before the law for their trips around the country at the expense of budgetary funds.

Chinese Anti-Corruption 2016

There are no exact results for 2016 yet. However, there is efficiency. The fight against corruption in 2015-2016 brought down the economy of the largest city of Macau, the largest gambling center in the world. The anti-corruption policy has led officials toeither lost their real income, or are simply afraid of being noticed among the "financial tycoons".

July 4, 2016, "Tiger" Lin Jihua, the former head of the CCP office, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes, abuse of power, and violating Party and state discipline. The arrest of such an official, who is almost the third person in the country, stirred up the entire Chinese society.

Conclusion

Executions in China for bribes are not widespread. However, one cannot but admit that many were sentenced to life imprisonment, even more of those who received a solid sentence of 10-15 years. All this helped to save significant amounts in the budget. Also, such measures had a positive impact on the development of the economy, as the money goes into investment, and not into the pockets of officials.

I would like to believe that in Russia, finally, active anti-corruption legislation will also work, and arrests will not be isolated, but massive. Of course, it is impossible to completely eradicate this phenomenon. However, the situation when finance ministers openly state that it is useless to invest in development, as they will “plunder”, and through federal channels they are surprised that one highway was built and not a ruble was stolen, seems hopeless. Only systematic and decisive measures to combat corruption will bring results.