- Title: China denounces those who say graft battle aimed at political foes
- Date: 28th October 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) OFFICIALS WALKING IN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE STARTING MEDIA WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE TO START (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR DISCIPLINE INSPECTION, WU YULIANG, SAYING: "When uprooting rotten trees, of course you must start with the most rotten. If you say this is selective, then I think this is a kind of way of working." MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR DISCIPLINE INSPECTION, WU YULIANG, SAYING: "In the past, some people have attacked us for not opposing corruption, and now we have increased the ante in the corruption fight, they say it's selective. In reality, this is a case of 'though drunken, one's real interest is not in wine.'" CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR DISCIPLINE INSPECTION, WU YULIANG, SAYING: "If you don't give offence to corrupt elements, then you will give offence to China's 1.3 billion people. This is a very obvious political calculation." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 12th November 2016 11:25
- Keywords: China corruption graft politics Communist Party
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00155X4WWD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A senior Chinese corruption fighter on Friday (October 28) blasted those who think the battle against graft is aimed at the ruling Communist Party's political foes, saying the entire Chinese nation would be offended if corruption was not confronted.
There has been repeated speculation at home and abroad - and sources with ties to the leadership have told Reuters - that President Xi Jinping's graft crackdown is as much about Xi taking down his enemies as it is about cleaning up the party.
Xi himself addressed this on a visit to the United States last year, saying China's fight against entrenched corruption was not a "House of Cards"-style power struggle.
Speaking at a rare news conference, Wu Yuliang, a deputy party boss of the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, likened the fight to uprooting rotten trees when asked if the campaign was selective and aimed a political enemies.
"When uprooting rotten trees, of course you must start with the most rotten. If you say this is selective, then I think this is a kind of way of working," Wu said, speaking after a four-day party meeting that further bolstered Xi's power.
"In the past some people have attacked us for not opposing corruption, and now we have increased the ante in the corruption fight, they say it's selective. In reality, this is a case of 'though drunken, one's real interest is not in wine'", Wu said, using an expression meaning somebody has ulterior motives.
The party was devoted to the people and fighting graft was completely in the public interest, he said.
"If you don't give offence to corrupt elements, then you will give offence to China's 1.3 billion people," Wu added.
Xi has warned that corruption threatens the Communist Party's survival and his almost four-year anti-graft campaign has brought down scores of senior officials in the party, the government, the military and state-owned enterprises. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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