The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Wednesday announced that since the beginning of this year, relevant departments have severely penalized public servants who accepted bribes in commercial activities.

Prosecuting organs all over the country have received or discovered more than 9,000 clues on commercial corruption. As a result, 4,367 commercial corruption cases have been put on file and are being probed, and 674 cases have been taken to the courts.

In north China's Hebei Province, medical staff in six hospitals have been punished for accepting backhanders from commercial partners.

In south China's Guangdong Province, an official, surnamed Li, working in the government procurement center under the Guangdong Provincial Government, has been penalize for accepting bribes from business people.

The State Food and Drug Administration has aroused drug and medical machine enterprises to jointly build an environment of fair competition.

Meanwhile, China has strived to clamp down on commercial corruption by legislative means. Its top legislature, or the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), is examining the draft anti-money laundering law. And the draft anti-monopoly law is going to be submitted to the legislature for deliberation. The two laws, once adopted, will lay a solid legal basis for further action against commercial corruption.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2006)