国内英语新闻:Senior leader highlights China's anti-corruption campaign

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leader He Guoqiang has stressed the country's determination and efforts in fighting corruption in a lengthy report published Tuesday, saying current anti-graft situation was still "grave."

"While fully acknowledging the achievements, we should see clearly that many problems still exist in our fight against corruption... the situation is still grave and the task is arduous," He said.

He, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, noted that the main missions for the new year included intensified crackdown on cases concerning officials' power abuse, embezzlement, bribery and dereliction of duty.

He said the country would also step up campaigns against officials' extravagant behaviors in the new year.

Figures from the report show that local party and government departments saved a total of 15.8 billion yuan (2.31 billion U.S. dollars) by reducing expenses in travels, vehicles purchase and food and accommodation.

Party and government officials' spending on overseas business trips dropped 37.6 percent compared with the average figure of the past three years.

Also, as of November, a total of 22,884 "small coffers" illegally held by Party and government officials worth 10.16 billion yuan (1.49 billion U.S. dollars), had been uncovered since a campaign was launched in last June.

He also urged improving the regulations on party members and officials' declaring personal information for the country's upcoming anti-graft moves, saying that housing, investment, employment of their spouses and children should also be included in the information list.

He said that officials who refuse to declare their properties should be severely dealt with.

The report was first delivered on Jan. 11 at a plenary session held by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party's internal anti-graft body.

He, head of commission, urged officials to carefully study and implement President Hu Jintao's speech on anti-corruption at the meeting.

Hu said at the session that efforts should be made to investigate cases of power abuse, corruption and embezzlement as well as dereliction of duty.

Hu pledged to push forward the construction of anti-corruption procedures, with confidence, determination, forceful measures and a solid working style.