[JURIST] The Communist Party of China (CPC) [official backgrounder] promised Wednesday to confront gambling, corruption, embezzlement, and fraud within the government, following a speech [People's Daily report] Tuesday by Chinese President Hu Jintao [People's Daily backgrounder] where the president hailed reforms accomplished in 2006 and vowed to build a cleaner Communist party in China. Hu's speech focused on four measures: improving ethics education, reform of both the official system and procedures, arresting high-profile offenders, and focusing on the offenses that most affect the public interest.

In October, China's chief justice called for judicial reform [JURIST report] in the face of court corruption and systemic failures to implement court orders, several days after three Chinese judges were arrested for bribery [JURIST report]. A Chinese official was arrested in September in connection with a pension plan scandal [JURIST report], and in June, the Communist Party announced increases in jail time and fines for those responsible for industrial accidents and white collar crimes. AP has more. The People's Daily has local coverage.