Central discipline group dispatched to sports authority

Franko Andrijasevic (2nd L) of Zhejiang FC vies with Su Yuanjie (1st R) of Tianjin Jinmen Tigers during their 2022 season Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) match in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 29, 2022. Photo：Xinhua

A central discipline group has been dispatched to China's General Administration of Sport (GAS), as part of the nation's thunderous move in the latest anti-graft campaign in the sports field, once again proving that the country's anti-corruption work has no blind spot, observers noted.

The Central Leading Group for Inspection Work dispatched to the GAS is one of the 15 central leading groups that have been dispatched to 21 organs under inspection, China Central Television reported on Saturday. The group is scheduled to work at the GAS for one and a half months, according to an official release by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China.

The group will handle letters, calls and visits from the public on the problems of the GAS officials, especially about their violations of political, organizational, integrity and work discipline, according to the CCDI.

The discipline group will place its focus on outstanding problems of those senior officials reported by the public, and will dig deeper and promote the solution of corruption in the field of sport and deep-seated institutional mechanisms, to provide a strong guarantee for the construction of a strong sports nation, said the head of the Central Leading Group for Inspection Work Li Yingchun.

The central discipline supervision comes amid graft probes related to several soccer-related officials. On March 3, a seven-member work group was sent by the GAS to take over operations at the Chinese Football Association (CFA), its affiliated soccer department, as at least nine soccer-related officials have been put under investigation, including Du Zhaocai, vice head of the GAS and Party secretary of the CFA, Chen Xuyuan, CFA president, and Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese men's national team.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee vowed on March 27 to launch inspections across the GAS to promote the implementation of China's plan to build the country into a sporting power and address issues in sports administration, especially in the soccer industry.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, a number of areas have gone through large-scale anti-corruption campaigns, including government organs, the judicial system and the financial system, Song Luzheng, a research fellow on political studies at the China Institute of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"The current vigorous anti-corruption campaign in the sports field proves once again that China's anti-corruption efforts are comprehensive and have no blind spot," Song said.

Similar inspection groups have been dispatched to organs including China Telecommunications Corp, China Mobile Communications Group and China Everbright Group, according to the CCDI.

Anti-corruption in other areas is also being advanced. According to official announcements, six provincial and ministerial officials have been put under investigation since the 2023 two sessions, which concluded on March 13.

In the past few weeks, more than 10 leaders of state-owned firms have also been put under investigation, according to the CCDI.

Compared with the period before the 20th CPC National Congress, the Party's fight against corruption is now much more in-depth, Zhi Zhenfeng, a research fellow of the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times in an earlier interview.

"One of the important features is the resolute punishment of corruption that was closely felt by the general public. The Party is conducting all-round and deep-seated investigations and punishments for corruption that the public has long detested.

"The unprecedented fight against corruption will continue to advance," he said.