Merida, 10 December 2003

Mr. President,

First of all, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, I wish to congratulate you on your election as the President of this Conference.I am confident that under your able steering, this Conference will be a complete success.I also wish to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the Mexican Government for what it has done to make this Conference possible and its thoughtful arrangements for all the delegations.

Mr. President,

The Chinese Government is delighted to note that thanks to the efforts by all countries in the past two years or so, the UN Convention Against Corruption has been successfully drafted by the AD Hoc Committee and adopted by the UN General Assembly and is now open for signature at this Conference. This is a milestone in international cooperation against transnational offences of corruption. The Chinese delegation wishes to extend our warm congratulations on the Convention's coming into being and the convocation of this Conference.

Corruption is an ulcer in the economic and political life of human society. It threatens national stability, undermines social justice and severely endangers social tranquility and sustainable development. State resources are eroded and economic development is disrupted when and where the flight of proceeds of corruption occurs. Corruption has become a cross-boundary problem affecting the political, economic and social life of every country in the world. It can only be effectively contained and punished through adequate and comprehensive international cooperation.

It is out of such consideration that the Chinese Government has been supportive of formulating this important international legal instrument against corruption, the UN Convention Against Corruption, and has participated in the whole process of negotiations in a sincere, cooperative and realistic spirit, thus positively contributing to the formation of the Convention.

The Chinese Government has always attached importance to fighting corruption. In accordance with the policy of addressing both symptoms and root causes with a coordinated approach and under the principles of democracy, openness, fairness and justice, we have taken legislative, judicial and law enforcement measures to prevent and combat corruption and have achieved marked results. On the legislative front, China is now developing and improving an anti-corruption legal system that attaches equal weight to education, supervision and institution-building. On the judicial front, the Chinese judicial authorities are intensifying efforts to tackle corruption cases as such cases are investigated, prosecuted and adjudicated according to law. On the law enforcement front, codes of conduct for public services have been set up at all levels of government departments to oblige government officials to do better in administrating public affairs according to law, practicing self-discipline and preserving integrity and honesty. Besides, the Chinese Government and law enforcement agencies welcome and subject themselves to supervision from the community and public opinion. A public reporting system has been put in place to broaden public participation in the fight against corruption. At present, the anti-corruption campaign in China is featured with synergy among the legislative, judicial and administrative bodies and joint participation by the government, society and individuals. The Chinese Government is ready to enter into closer cooperation with other countries and international organizations to prevent and crack down upon corruption.