During the China-ASEAN Anti-Corruption Workshop, held in Yunnan on November 2-3, officials from China and ASEAN member states, as well as relevant international organizations, carried out heated discussions concerning “anti-corruption and sustainable development” policies.
The workshop began with a discussion of the topic “current corruption issues and challenges”. Attendees agreed that transnational, organized and high-tech corruption is a growing concern for the entire world. According to Mahammad Shervin Majlessi, senior legal adviser on the UNODC Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative, developing countries and transitional countries lose 20-40 billion US dollars due to corruption every year. Only a small portion of these stolen assets are ever recovered.
Attendees also suggested countermeasures concerning the topic “joining hands in combating corruption and promoting development”. As Mahammad Shervin Majlessi pointed out, all countries should establish and deepen mutual trust and eliminate legal and institutional obstacles in the international cooperation against corruption. Meanwhile, developing nations should be also actively involved in international anti-corruption organisations.
“We should establish an anti-corruption mechanism, carry out international anti-corruption cooperation and enhance anti-corruption education,” said Martin Kreutner, Dean of the International Anti-Corruption Academy. He hopes that the workshop, as a good start, will help China and ASEAN member states carry out international cooperation in anti-corruption policies, while simultaneously promoting sustainable development.
The Lao representative found China’s anti-corruption measures powerful and effective, while the Singaporean delegate said, “There is no doubt that China’s anti-corruption campaign is worth learning from. It not only facilitates China’s development, but promotes international cooperation as well.”
The workshop is a gift from China commemorating the 13th annual International Anti-Corruption Day, which is just over a month away. The Chinese delegation’s appeal to “establish a long-term anti-corruption mechanism and build a regional anti-corruption cooperation framework” echoed the demand for international anti-corruption cooperation. It also highlighted China’s image as a responsible power.