The central leadership of the Communist Party of China recently updated its regulation on inspection teams, the full text of which was published by Xinhua News Agency on Aug 13. Actually, the earliest regulation for central inspection teams dates back to 1928. As one of its key anti-corruption systems, inspection groups regularly or irregularly sent by the central leadership played a key role in preventing corruption in the Party, a necessary prerequisite for its final success in the revolution.

The central inspection system was strengthened in 1990 and included in the Party constitution at the 17th Party Congress in 2007. Two years later, a specialized Party regulation on inspection was drafted and issued. After the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, during which the top Party leadership launched an anti-corruption campaign, more attention has been paid to the system.

Stricter requirements are demanded of inspectors, who are supposed to make careful investigations and find clues that lead to possible corruption. Each time an inspection group is formed, a new leader is appointed to make sure there is no relation between the inspector and the inspected. And inspection teams are given ample power so that inspected officials cannot find powerful figures to protect them.