Regulations on internal supervision and disciplinary penalties for Communist Party of China (CPC) members were recently released by the CPC Central Committee.

Expecting those regulations will play a crucial role in promoting democracy, stepping up supervision within the Party, safeguarding Party unity and furthering the fight against corruption, the CPC Central Committee has called on all Party members to study and observe the regulations.

The long-expected release of the regulations has sparked hot discussion:

21st Century Economic Herald: The regulations establish a basic framework for internal supervision of CPC members.

As an international issue, anti-corruption in China has its uniqueness. As the country evolves from the planned economy to a market-orientated one, administrative monopoly, a heritage of the old economic regime, still lingers and has a bearing on distribution of economic interests. It leaves room for government officials, most of them being Party members, to trade power for money.

Meanwhile, as the market economy develops, administrative resources have become more regulated and thus more valuable for those corrupt officials, goading them to cash in on the last chance to grab benefits through power abuse.

Statistics show that from 1992 to 2002, the number of government officials with Party membership disciplined for corruption has been on the rise.

Those officials control huge amounts of public resources. Although public resources belong to the people, their distribution has to be managed by those officials. In pursuit of unwarrantable interests, they commit corruption and cause grave losses to the country.

Corruption has become a crucial test that the ruling party has to stand.

Party leaders have repeatedly pledged they will do their utmost to weed out corruption without mercy.

The anti-corruption campaign in the past year offers the best evidence of the Party's resolve to keep that promise. Thirteen officials, all Party members at the provincial and ministerial level, received their due punishment for corruption. It is rare in New China's history for so many high-ranking officials to be punished within a year, but it demonstrates the Party's unswerving determination to fight this social scourge.

To check corruption by high-level officials, the regulations point to strengthened supervision.

Since they are inferior to Party committees at the same level, discipline inspection departments often find it difficult to fully enact their role in supervising Party leaders. The regulations explicitly list the leading officials as the key target of supervision, breaking the systematic bottleneck to the supervision of Party leaders.

The regulations should be welcomed. But to effectively check corruption, the supervisory departments should be made more independent and diversified supervisory channels should be ensured.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." That age-old adage should remind us of the necessity of not relenting in our efforts to thwart power abuse. Besides internal measures, supervision from outside the Party is also important.

Interference of administrative power in the market leads to monopoly and corruption. When market players' requirements cannot be met in the market, they turn to administrative forces. As the market system improves, there will be less room for corruption. So the anti-corruption campaign should be carried on together with developing our market economy.

Jiefang Daily: The regulations not only aim at checking corruption, but balancing distribution of power within the Party.

Internal supervision depends on restraining power abuse and protecting the rights of the Party members.

In the new era, CPC will stand two tests: improving the Party's capability as a ruling body, and checking corruption. At first glance, one may think the regulations aim at dealing with the second issue, but it also helps tackle the first.

The regulations push forward the idea of democracy within the Party. Only by promoting democracy from within can the Party establish a balanced power structure and strengthen supervision.

Wenhui News: China's fight against corruption could benefit from international help.

It is reported that as China strengthens anti-corruption efforts, how to discipline officials fleeing to foreign countries has become an urgent issue.

Since China signed the UN Anti-Corruption Convention, the international environment of checking fled corrupted officials has become more favourable.

During recent years, China has made efforts to sign treaties with other countries concerning recovery of illegal embezzled property and extradition.

The signing of the Convention can thwart corrupt officials' attempts to flee abroad.