China’s anti-corruption campaign has intensified at the grassroots level, with 77,000 current or former village party branch secretaries and village committee chiefs investigated for corruption between January and September 2024. This marks a significant increase of over 30,000 cases compared to the same period last year, according to official reports from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

In total, Chinese disciplinary authorities investigated 642,000 corruption cases during this nine-month period. The investigations spanned all levels of government, from 58 high-ranking provincial officials to thousands of local administrators. The crackdown has been particularly notable at the village level, where the number of cases in the first three quarters of 2024 has already exceeded the full-year total of 61,000 cases in 2023.

Common corruption practices among village officials include accepting kickbacks from local construction projects and fraudulently obtaining rural compensation funds. With China having more than 600,000 administrative villages, the scale of the corruption has sparked public debate. On social media, many netizens suggest that while the number of investigated officials is already substantial, it likely represents only a fraction of actual corruption cases, with many instances going unreported. The persistent revelation of corruption cases has led to public cynicism, with some commenting that the system is “rotten from top to bottom.”

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 28, 2024
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202410280309.aspx

Chinese authorities have significantly intensified their crackdown on Communist Party officials found reading or possessing banned books, with at least 15 high-ranking officials charged in 2024 alone — nearly double the number from 2023.

The most recent case emerged on September 25, when Li Bin, the former deputy director of Mudanjiang’s People’s Congress Standing Committee, was expelled from the party and referred for judicial processing. While Li faced various corruption charges, including accepting bribes and illegal financial gains, the authorities notably listed his primary offense as “violating political discipline by privately reading illegal publications containing content that undermines party unity.”

This trend of charging officials for possessing or reading “publications with serious political problems” has become increasingly prevalent in China’s anti-corruption campaign. Several prominent figures have fallen under similar charges, including Wang Xiaoguang, former deputy governor of Guizhou Province, who was accused of “being keen on reading overseas publications with serious political problems,” and Liu Liange, former chairman of Bank of China, who was charged with “privately bringing banned publications into the country.”

An investigation by Caixin Media revealed 29 additional cases of officials facing book-related charges, with the most common accusations being unauthorized possession of politically sensitive materials and illegal importation of banned publications. The crackdown has extended beyond traditional printed materials to include digital content. In response, the Communist Party’s revised Disciplinary Regulations, which took effect on January 1, 2024, expanded Article 52 to specifically include penalties for accessing problematic content across various media formats, including electronic materials, online texts, images, audio, and video resources.

Source: Deutsche Welle, October 25, 2024
https://p.dw.com/p/4mEam

China’s National Government Offices Administration (NGOA) has issued a new directive requiring central and state agencies to transition their vehicle fleets to domestic new energy vehicles (NEVs). According to the notice, government departments must achieve a minimum replacement ratio of 30% for NEVs, with expectations to gradually increase this percentage over time.

Despite the aggressive push for NEV adoption, the government maintains strict cost controls as part of its austerity measures. Each sedan purchased cannot exceed 180,000 yuan (approximately $25,000), reflecting the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while promoting green technology.

The mandate comes amid impressive growth in China’s NEV market. Sales have already surpassed 7.13 million units in the first three quarters of this year, with NEVs capturing over 50% of market share in the third quarter. Industry projections suggest annual sales will exceed 10 million units, marking a significant milestone for China’s electric vehicle industry.

The comprehensive directive specifies that government departments must prioritize NEVs for regular administrative vehicles and fixed-route law enforcement operations. The requirement extends to special-purpose vehicles, such as those used for sanitation and technical inspections, wherever feasible. However, the policy allows for exceptions in regions with challenging geographical or climate conditions.

This initiative serves a dual purpose: supporting the domestic NEV industry’s development while demonstrating the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The policy applies across all administrative levels and public institutions under central and state agencies, positioning China’s public sector at the forefront of the nation’s electric vehicle transition.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 29, 2024
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202410290431.aspx