Mr. President,
First of all, I would like to congratulate you and the Bureau on your election. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Academy led by Dean Mr. Kos for the excellent preparatory work.
China has a population of 1.4 billion, covers over 9 million square kilometers, consists of 31 provinces and more than 2,800 counties, and had a GDP of approximately $20 trillion last year, with its economy and society in a stage of rapid development. We fully recognize that corruption hinders economic growth and undermines fair competition, acting as an obstacle and stumbling block to modernization—a social scourge that must be eradicated. The fight against corruption is not only a safeguard and guarantee for achieving modernization, but also an inevitable requirement and objective of the modernization process itself.
President Xi Jinping of China has pointed out that there is no fixed model for the path to modernization. Based on long-term exploration and practice, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in successfully advancing and expanding Chinese modernization, dispelling the myth that “modernization equals Westernization”, pioneering a new path for humanity to achieve modernization, and providing a reference for other developing countries as they explore their own paths to modernization. Chinese modernization contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. It is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. President Xi emphasised that to stay on the right track of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and smoothly realize Chinese modernization, it is imperative to unswervingly fight against corruption.
The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always been taking a clear stand against corruption. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China of 2012, under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping, we have waged a battle against corruption on a scale unprecedented in our history. With a zero-tolerance policy, we have ensured that no place has been out of bounds and no ground has been left unturned. We have taken coordinated action to “take out tigers,” “swat flies,” and “hunt down foxes,” and advanced the initiative of ensuring that officials dare not to be, cannot be, and do not want to be corrupt. Having secured a sweeping victory in the fight against corruption and fully consolidated that victory, China has successfully forged a Chinese-style path of combating corruption that draws on institutional and rule-of-law strengths. This has provided a strong guarantee for advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts and has won the heartfelt support and broad endorsement of the Chinese people.
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which just concluded yesterday, adopted the Resolution on Certain Major Issues concerning Persevering with Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance. The Resolution sets out arrangements in four areas to ensure that China remains firmly on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in combating corruption: maintaining a tough stance against corruption; strengthening checks on and oversight over the exercise of power; fortifying the cultural-ethical foundations for championing integrity and disdaining corruption; and enhancing coordinated efforts to prevent corruption by rooting out audacity, opportunity, and desire. The Resolution has charted the direction for further advancing the fight against corruption.
China is an active participant and contributor to global governance on anti-corruption. China faithfully implements the United Nations Convention against Corruption and has concluded more than 170 bilateral agreements on extradition, mutual legal assistance, and asset return and sharing with over 80 countries. The National Commission of Supervision of China has established working contacts with anti-corruption authorities in over 100 countries, carrying out extensive cooperation in the pursuit of fugitives and the recovery of stolen assets. China has continued to advance the Clean Silk Road initiative and has worked to help developing countries enhance their anti-corruption capacity. China has also promoted the strengthening of international consensus, including the APEC Beijing Declaration on Fighting Corruption, the G20 High-Level Principles on Cooperation on Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery, and the BRICS Initiative on Denial of Safe Haven to Corruption, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global anti-corruption governance.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Academy is the only intergovernmental international organization in the world dedicated exclusively to anti-corruption education, research, and training. It plays a significant role in promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the political declaration of the UN General Assembly's Special Session against Corruption, as well as in advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We look forward to the Academy leveraging its unique resources and platform advantages to focus on the practical needs of member states in anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation, conducting targeted country-specific studies and training programs, establishing collaborative platforms, and advancing practical cooperation in areas such as mutual legal assistance, extradition, repatriation, and asset recovery—thereby paving the way for the Academy’s greater future development.
The Chinese government and the National Commission of Supervision firmly support and actively participate in the work of the Academy, fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations as the State Party. Since 2017, China has contributed 200,000 euros annually to the Academy, making a positive contribution to its growth and development. At the same time, China calls on all States Parties to support the Academy in achieving steady and sustainable progress, and China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity for the Academy's development.
Finally, I wish this session every success. Thank you.