No demilitarized zone war against corruption

The expulsion and arrest of Zhou Yongkang lays bare the stance of the Communist Party of China (CPC): everyone is equal before the law.

Zhou, once a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, has been expelled from the Party and prosecutors have opened an investigation into his alleged crimes, again demonstrating the CPC resolve to exterminate both the "tigers" and the "flies".

Rule of law means no hiding places and no exceptions. No one is immune in the fierce anti-corruption war. No one is beyond the jurisdiction of the law.

Every transgressor -- retired officials, discipline inspectors, political cadres and those who flee the country -- will be hunted down and punished accordingly.

Since November 2012, more than 50 high officials have been nailed for graft and associated crimes. Among them were former military leader Xu Caihou who was expelled from the CPC for bribery, and former senior political advisor Su Rong, who was removed from his post for suspected "serious discipline and law violations."

The CPC represents the fundamental interests of the people and will maintain its tough stance against corruption, keeping its vow to restrict power with a cage of regulations. There will be no space for corrupt officials who transfer their ill-gotten gains abroad and flee with their families. Once safe havens will soon turn to dead ends.

The "Fox Hunt" campaign, which started in July this year, has seized over 400 fugitives from 60 countries and regions, 231 of whom turned themselves in.

Last month, President Xi Jinping put forward international anti-graft cooperation as the third of his four proposals to the G20 Summit in Australia and, although the manhunt is set to end on Dec. 31, the Chinese police will never give up the chase for those at large and even harsher punishments will be on the cards.

Fighting graft is no easy job. Strong resolution, strict regulations, self-discipline and great courage are needed.

Only by unremitting vigilance in the hunt for corrupt officials can the CPC remain at the core of China's development.