Respected economist in graft war

BEIJING - Agence France-Presse

China has appointed a respected economist to head its anti-graft drive as it sought to stress its resolve in fighting the rampant corruption identified as one of the biggest challenges for the Communist Party.

Wang Qishan, China’s top finance official, will head the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. Wang is best known for representing China in key economic talks with the U.S. and European Union.

The congress also approved an amendment to the party constitution to include a call for “attaching greater importance to conducting oversight of cadres,” Xinhua said. The party has been stained by a series of high-profile corruption scandals in recent years.