The top discipline inspection official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Friday called on the Party to intensify the fight against corruption as "the task was arduous and the situation was serious".

He Guoqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, told a think-tank meeting, "Corruption cannot be rooted out in a short time."

He, also secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said China would stay in the preliminary stage of socialism in the long term when there were both favorable conditions and harmful factors in the fight against corruption.

"The Party should unswervingly continue the fight while upholding integrity," he said, adding discipline inspection officials should strengthen theoretical study and learn successful experience from abroad.

The think-tank, jointly convened by the CCDI and the Ministry of Supervision, comprised political and legal experts who offered suggestions for the CPC's anti-corruption work.

China established its first National Bureau of Corruption Prevention in September in a bid to stop corruption at its source by reforming systems and closing loopholes in policies.

Last year, more than 90,000 Chinese officials, including a number of high-level officials, were disciplined, accounting for 0.14 percent of the total CPC members.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2007)