China pledged to impose more severe punishments on corrupt officials while improving the system to crack down graft, a senior official said.

Wu Guanzheng, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the comments in a report to the commission's Fifth Plenary Session on Jan. 10. The report was published on Tuesday.

Given being found taking or giving bribes in form of cash, securities or other forms of payments, party cadres will be removed from the posts before being further punished, Wu, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said in the report.

Officials who use public resources for the private businesses of their spouses or children should resign, or be forced to resign. They will receive disciplinary penalties afterwards, he said in the report.

Resignation also applies to officials who are involved in gambling, with more severe punishments imposed on those who gamble in overseas casinos, according to the report.

Wu said the 2005 anti-graft campaign will focus on disciplining officials who abuse their power, in particular those who violate rules on personnel and legal matters, in handling administrative licenses, or in matters concerning construction, finance, land management and government procurement.

In his report, Wu emphasized the importance of improving the personnel system, and further enhancing supervision on fund management, construction projects bidding and administrative licensing work

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2005)