Anti-corruption regulation in China

[Defense]

China speeds up anti-corruption efforts in military (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/09/content_4158643.htm)

www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-09 20:31:08

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A regulation on the prevention of job-related crimes among military officers was issued recently to speed up China's fight against corruption in the military forces, Liberation Army Daily reported here Wednesday.

"It is an important move to guarantee the stability of China's military forces," the paper stressed.

Despite the achievements made in punishing military officers who break laws and in preventing job-related crimes in recent years, no similar systematic regulation has been issued before, the paper said.

The regulation stipulates the guidelines and measures of preventing job-related corruption, the paper said.

It urged all military units to institutionalize the prevention of job-related corruption and encourage both the officers and soldiers to participate in the anti-corruption drive.

"The fight against job-related crimes should be a regular, comprehensive and basic task for the military units at various levels," the regulation stated, highlighting supervision and checks on those in power.

It also called on military units to faithfully implement the policies concerning the fight against corruption, enhancing the party's governing capability and the rule of law as issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Central Military Commission.

The regulation was jointly issued by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Department of the General Staff, the PLA General Political Department, the PLA General Logistics Department, and the PLA General Armament Department.

[PiSigma]

the best way is still to raise the salaries of soldiers and officers.. especially the officers... just that alone will be able to decrease corruption.. afterall, most of these guys are just trying to feed their family. the first guy on the moon, yang liwei, was dirt poor when he was in the air force. and he was a lieutenant colonel in the PLAAF. my uncle in the chengdu military region is one of his buddies, he told me that the family still lives in the military issued 1 bedroom apartments before he went up. now he's crammed with people trying to get him in commericials, and he turns most of them down unless it's military authorized.

[curse]

this is good news, can not have a successful invasion if some of your military is corrupted.

[ahho]

Isn't this scary though, if the military personnel is underpaid, doesn't that already hurt moral? wouldn't it hurt the military in times of war???

[Obcession]

To ahho:

I don't think so, Chinese soldiers has always been this poor since the founding of the PRC, but they still fared pretty well, and fought very hard in all the wars China fought before. You may argue that nowadays, alot of other people in China is rich and the military is poor, is different from the conditions of the past, when everyone was poor. Well, that's a valid point, however, Chinese soldiers take pride in being Chinese soldiers, and are extremely motivated to defend China (in other words, extremely nationalistic), so I can't foresee them having bad morale because of bad pay, in the future.

[KYli]

PRC should have do more to promote the chinese soilder. Chinese soilder nowaday just do not have as much respect as it should be.

[MIGleader]

china does promote some soldiers on tv. I saw a documentary of a wz-9 pilot, who related his military nad pre-military experiences on Tv. Beijing actually PAYs soldiers to walk around areas like Tiananmen in uniform, to impress tourists. Its better thna seeing swat and cops everywhere in DC.

[ahho]

To ahho:

I don't think so, Chinese soldiers has always been this poor since the founding of the PRC, but they still fared pretty well, and fought very hard in all the wars China fought before. You may argue that nowadays, alot of other people in China is rich and the military is poor, is different from the conditions of the past, when everyone was poor. Well, that's a valid point, however, Chinese soldiers take pride in being Chinese soldiers, and are extremely motivated to defend China (in other words, extremely nationalistic), so I can't foresee them having bad morale because of bad pay, in the future.

well i didn't say bad, but hurt it. You know that there would be some blaber mouths in the military saying "why am i in this in the first place if i can't make money" but i do agree with you on the point mentioned

[Typhoon]

china does promote some soldiers on tv. I saw a documentary of a wz-9 pilot, who related his military nad pre-military experiences on Tv. Beijing actually PAYs soldiers to walk around areas like Tiananmen in uniform, to impress tourists. Its better thna seeing swat and cops everywhere in DC.

Soldiers got paid to walk around in military uniform to "impress" tourists? I don't understand.

Most foreign tourists rarely see any soilder in uniform walking around the sight-seeing areas in their own country. So they may just feel "funny" or "different" when they see the soliders in uniforms walking around in the sight-seeing areas such as Tiananmen Square in China.

[adeptitus]

Did anybody watch that Chinese military drama/TV series called DAʦ ? I watched some eps on CCTV (cable) and noticed they drove around in a white BMW(?). =_= I think the commander's wife is from a wealthy family?

[DPRKUnderground]

Now they have to pass some sort of anti-corruption law in the government. No offense, but there are some corrupt politicians who are getting away with things in China.

[taijisheng]

Over all, chinese millitary are not that under paid at all, comparing to government officers that is. Only goverment officers in costal regions and rich cities are paid much higher than PLA officers, low-mid ranking PLA officers' pay is about the same level as government offcials in relative poorer provinces, but if you consider that the army provide free food, free uniform, free accomodation, free transport, free medicare, free training/education, then its not that bad at all.

More important, most low-mid ranking PLA officers leave the army after a number of years, the army provide them a huge social/business network, solid references, political advantage, new skills etc. An ex army officier has a huge advantage over the long term, he/she will always be considered first for any government related positions and promotions and keep an advantage over someone with equal education/skills but without army experience.

As for the ordinary soldiers, the same advantage applys to them, they are poorly paid, but they are mostly peasants from very poor regions, where they otherwise would be poor anyway, joining the army is for most of them an investement in the future.

High ranking officiers are not poor, they may not wel paid as their western counterparts, but they are paid enough in a country like china.

[FuManChu]

Anti-corruption "measures" won't work because these people don't earn nearly enough in comparison to the dreams/aspirations being promoted on Chinese TV and other advertisements. Pay increases are very important (seriously, I wonder how much of the budget increases go on salaries), but apart from that I'm not sure what else can be done.

[Kampfwagen]

Corruption, in anything, is a very dificult thing to fight. From Gangland Chicago Police Comissioner to a forklift operator in Pakistan. Ether people in power want more power or wealth, or people in poor positions want money. This is especialy a problem in Communists governments, where greed (it's a natural human trait, no sense in denying it) has a tendancy to go out of control. I imagine that there is still a huge crime problem the Chinese government is in denial of. (Remember what happened after the fall of the Soviet Union? It was like yanking the dressings off of a gangrene victim. Though I doubt it is getting that bad in China, I imagine it aint a communist utopia there.)

[jalen911]

these word just deceived the people of the china。

[Gollevainen]

cut out oneliners!!! rules havent changed thougth we havent kept it on surface

[JonMan]

Soldiers got paid to walk around in military uniform to "impress" tourists? I don't understand.

Most foreign tourists rarely see any soilder in uniform walking around the sight-seeing areas in their own country. So they may just feel "funny" or "different" when they see the soliders in uniforms walking around in the sight-seeing areas such as Tiananmen Square in China.

Actually, I believe that a lot of countries have them, and it really is mostly something to protect tourists, but they do require discipline. I think tomb of the unknown soldier was one in America. And the Buckingham palace guards.

[FuManChu]

And the Buckingham palace guards.

They're not really there for the tourists - they've dressed that way for a long time. They'd be there even if there weren't so many tourists. Just as Trooping the Colour goes on regardless of how many people turn up to watch it.