Top Chinese Prosecutor: Government Will ‘Strike Down the Tigers or Swat the Flies’

There was an increase of anti-corruption cases by one-third last year, according to the report presented by the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Procurator-General Cao Jianming said that his group will hunt down corrupt officials as a huntsman would kill tigers and foxes. He also said that the government will search officials who have flown overseas to escape prosecution.

He said, "We will not reduce the intensity, scale or tempo with which we strike down the tigers, swat the flies or hunt down the foxes."

"The zero-tolerance stance on corruption will certainly not be changed," he added.

Chief Justice Zhou Qiang also gave a report stating that there were 45,000 cases heard last year. These cases indicated 63,000 officials.

The increase in number is due to the intensified anti-graft campaign that was spearheaded by President Xi Jinping upon the start of his term in 2012.

The bigwigs who were prosecuted are Guo Boxiong, former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission; Ling Jihua, Hu Jintao's political adviser; and former aide to president Hu Jintao.

Supreme Court judges were given more autonomy by President Xi and mechanisms were established so reporting of criminal activities would be easier.

The president said that the reforms were to "improve the credibility of the judiciary, enhance people's sense of security and satisfaction and build a just and standardized legal environment."

Fu Hualing, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, believes that the anti-corruption campaign can't be done in full swing.

He said, "I don't see any clear political will to seriously punish corrupt officials at the grassroots level."

"Maybe they understand that is probably very destructive if China does that in every county, every district. The whole country would probably be in chaos," he added.

Aside from the anti-graft campaign, both leaders of the high court said that they will fight the terrorists in Xinjiang Province.