Nestled quietly near a bustling street northwest of Tian'anmen
Square, the glittering modern skyscraper reveals little of what
happens inside.
Surrounded by ivy-covered high walls there is little traffic to
and from the building; and only the serious-looking guards at the
gate hint at its importance.
But that mystique was slightly shattered yesterday as the
Party's top graft-buster lifted its veil to the outside world.
More than 30 foreign journalists made their very first tour of
the solemn office buildings of the Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China
Central Committee.
Cameras clicked furiously and video started to roll once they
stood on the marble-floor lobby of the 15-story building.
"We received many requests from foreign journalists to visit the
government and Party departments," said Guo Weimin, director of the
State Council Information Office's press bureau. "So we organized
this tour."
As reporters thronged the corridor and peered into neat rooms
catching the staff by surprise, the accompanying CCDI officials
were bombarded with questions.
"Is this the place where you interrogate corrupt officials?"
Answer: Some of them have been "invited to have a talk".
"Do you feel shorthanded considering you investigate some big
cases?
Answer: No, not all cases break at the same time. So there are
enough officials to handle matters.
"How do you get clues about corruption?"
Answer: We have a tip-off system and also send out inspection
teams.
Chi Yaoyun, deputy director of the CCDI's general office, said
that the tour was a demonstration that more and more government and
Party organizations are becoming transparent and more open in their
administrative affairs.
"This is what we have been promoting," he said.
Besides the routine press releases handed out to the media, the
CCDI is considering convening more press conferences from time to
time or regularly which will also open to foreign media, Chi
said.
With the downfall of a slew of corrupt officials - some high
ranking - in recent years, a series of crackdowns by the CCDI is
gaining increasing attention from the outside.
Responding to a question on how rampant corruption is in the
country, Chi said that the number of cases is actually
declining.
"We can't deny that corruption exists in some areas and to some
extent," Chi said.
"But China's firm stance in fighting corruption cannot be
doubted," he said, citing the arrests of some senior officials
including former Shanghai Party secretary Chen Liangyu last
year.
Chi said the government wants to focus on prevention as much as
punishment, citing the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention set
up last week as a major step in that direction.
The visiting journalists wrapped up their short visit at the
archive room, expecting more such trips.
"It is very rare for Party organizations to open to the media,"
said Shiozawa Eiichi, a journalist with Japan's Kyodo News Agency.
"We hope to see more of this in the future."
(China Daily September 21, 2007)