[JURIST] China’s anti-corruption Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) [official website, in Chinese] on Tuesday announced the launch of investigations into 26 government agencies and state-owned-enterprises (SOEs). The entities to be investigated include People’s Daily Newspaper [media website], Anshan Iron and Steel, conglomerate China Resources, the Ministry of Transport and National Railway Administration. In the announcement [Xinhua report], the CCDI said the investigations were designed to combat widespread lax enforcement of anti-graft policies in the agencies and SOEs, saying that entities controlled by the Communist Party of China should be held to the highest standards of ethics.

The Chinese government has worked in recent years to reform its judicial system and combat corruption. The CCDI inspections have resulted [Reuters report] in lost positions by 70 senior officials of state firms in 2014. Earlier this month China’s ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang was sentenced [JURIST report] to life imprisonment for corruption, after being found guilty of bribery, abuse of power and intentionally disclosing national secrets. In March officials announced that efforts against corruption have led to the investigation and conviction of 14 generals [JURIST report] for corrupt financial practices. In February Chinese officials announced [JURIST report] the impending prosecution of Su Rong, former vice chairman of China’s top parliamentary advisory board, for graft. In July China’s former Communist Party leader Bo Xilai was formally charged [JURIST report] with corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power. In March 2012 the President and Chief Justice of China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) told the National People’s Congress (NPC) that the country must continue to implement legal reform [JURIST report] to combat corruption and foster social and economic growth.