Greater openness boosts the CCDI's work

Transparency and practicality have been highlighted as the new working style for the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top disciplinary body. Before the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the public knew little about the CCDI or its work, said Xia Jinwen, Party secretary of Zhenjiang, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

There were no specific guidelines to indicate how disciplinary officers should conduct their investigations, he said. "After the 18th congress, we established guidelines to clarify the responsibilities and duties of disciplinary officers and improve their work," Xia said, during a roundtable discussion with members of the CCDI in October.

"As the Party chief of Zhenjiang, I was ordered to implement the 13 items in the guideline, such as supervising and leading the department's inspections, and ensuring that my colleagues study the work evaluation standards," he said.