"The fight against corruption will be long, complicated and arduous. However, I believe that as long as we continue to combat corruption and building a clean government, we will see a brighter future," Li said.

He Guoqiang, Secretary of the CCDI, pointed out in a report delivered in January that the discipline inspection departments should first resolutely strengthen supervision and investigation on issues of the most direct concern to the people and safeguard the interests of the public. Second, they should strengthen supervision of the implementation of the country's major policies. He also called on the personnel of the Party's discipline inspection agencies to be fully aware of the harsh situation of the fight against corruption and have faith in winning that battle.

Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Committee of Political and Legislative Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, gave a speech in June at the fourth seminar of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. He said recovering corrupt officials' illicit assets is crucial to fighting corruption. The anti-corruption agencies in many countries and regions have recognized the urgent need to carry out international cooperation in recovering corrupt officials' illicit assets transferred abroad and demanding other countries to freeze such assets to cut off the officials' means of living overseas. He also said that the Chinese Government had worked together with many other countries in effectively retrieving such funds. In October 2006, China enacted the Law on Anti-Money Laundering, which showed China's willingness to coordinate with other countries and regions in punishing corrupt officials who flee overseas.

In May 2011, China passed an act aimed at punishing corrupt officials at the village level, the first attempt to restrain the conduct of cadres at the village level. This act forbade these cadres from seeking benefits for their relatives by using their administrative power. They were also prohibited from securing illegal benefits for themselves in land transfers and rentals. If the cadres violated the act, they would be punished accordingly and their illicit gains would be seized. Until now, this act has pushed cadres at the village level to fulfill their responsibilities and safeguarded the interests of the rural public. In the same month of 2011, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued an official document which urged fiscal departments to regulate commercial gift cards in order to prevent money laundering, tax evasion and bribery.

Corruption appears in various forms around the world, endangering a country's economy and political system. Therefore, it should be a high priority for every nation to address it. China's corrupt officials can even be sentenced to death according to the law, demonstrating China's strict determination to root out corruption.

The author is vice chief editor of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Wafd