According to the CCDI, starting from 2008 anti-corruption work in the coming years will focus on establishing a sound system for punishing and preventing corruption. The work of 2008 will focus on inspecting the cases of leading officials and exacting harsh punishments where illegal activity has taken place in relation to construction projects, land management, mineral resource development and management of state-owned enterprises.

On October 18, Liu Zhihua, the former Vice Mayor of Beijing, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and his property was confiscated. Liu was in charge of the construction of Olympic venues, which amounted to tens of billions of dollars.

Liu is just one of a number of high-level officials punished in recent years. In July 2007, Zheng Xiaoyu, former Minister of the State Food and Drug Administration, was sentenced to death for the crimes of taking bribes and dereliction of duty. Many other officials, including former Prosecutor General of Tianjin Municipal People's Procuratorate Li Baojin, former Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee Chen Liangyu and former Vice Governor of Anhui Province He Minxu, have also faced punishment.

On March 10, former Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Jia Chunwang, revealed in a work report that in the past five years the Supreme People's Procuratorate investigated 35 officials at the provincial and ministerial level and 930 officials at the department and bureau level.

According to statistics quoted by China Youth Daily, in the 1980s, just two officials at the provincial and ministerial level were punished for corruption, and the size of bribes involved in their cases ranged from just a few thousand to 20,000 yuan.

In the 1990s the number of cases climbed to 15, while from 2000 to 2007 it rose to over 70, involving sums ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of yuan.

According to Jiang Jianchu, Deputy General Attorney of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the biggest problem facing anti-corruption laws is fear of checking powerful people.

"We have to create a healthy social atmosphere in which people dare to check. If everyone resists bribes and has the courage to speak the truth, a healthy atmosphere will soon be created," said Jiang. "Of course, this is an ideal target for anti-corruption, and it will take some time to achieve."

In May 2007, China's State Council set up the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention. It was the first state organ specifically created to tackle corruption and demonstrated China's growing desire to deal with the problem.

On May 13, 2008, the authorities issued the 2008-12 work plan on the establishment of a punishment and anti-corruption system, which clarified objectives behind anti-corruption work for the next five years.

"The Chinese Government's determination to fight corruption is very strong. We will not only eradicate corruption, but also the breeding of corruption," said Jiang.