Senior Chinese officials and experts believe that the newly-published regulations on the internal supervision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is not only an anti-graft announcement, but an important step for the country's democratic progress.

"The CPC's internal supervision not only includes top-to-bottom supervision, but also bottom-to-top supervision and peer supervision. Only by vigorously carrying forward democracy in the Party can internal supervision be substantially implemented," said Xia Zanzhong, deputy secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Prof. He Husheng of the Party History Department of the People's University here, said that insufficient supervision over senior officials should be blamed for failures throughout the history of the international Communist movement.

The regulations highlight the importance of "collective leadership", saying that all major issues, such as official appointments and removals, should be discussed by Party committees at all levels. Any arbitrary decision made by an individual must be punished, he added.

Prof. Chen Xuewei, with the Party History Department of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said inefficient supervision of the exercise of power should be blamed for the existence of rampant corruption.

"Only by vigorously improving the CPC's internal democracy can the ruling party be full of vitality and halt any possible decline," said Chen.

Han Jiugen, a research fellow with the Party Construction Institute of the Organization Department under the CPC Central Committee, said the promulgation of the regulations will not only benefit the CPC's internal democracy, but the democratic progress of the whole country.

"As the CPC is the ruling party of China, many party members are officials in government bodies. If their democratic awareness is enhanced, the democratic atmosphere of their departments will be improved. Therefore, the party's internal democracy has an important bearing on the country's democratic progress," said Han.

The regulations also stress that supervision from outside the party is important, stipulating that letters of complaint from the people should be answered promptly and the problems they disclose should be solved as far as possible. Enditem