BEIJING, Jan. 15 -- An annual discipline watchdog meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which closed here Wednesday, sent a strong signal that the Party's anti-corruption efforts are by no means "a gust of wind", but will be a long-term and systematic movement.

When addressing the third plenary session of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) that was held from Jan. 13 to 15, the general secretary of CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping noted that the country brought down both "tigers" and "flies", and mounted high pressure on corrupt officials in 2013.

He used this metaphor for the first time to show resolve to punish both senior and low-ranking corrupt officials as early as at last year's plenary session of the CCDI.

The words have been well implemented.

The CCDI closed graft investigations into eight high-profile officials and handed over their cases to prosecutors in 2013, according to a CCDI press conference held earlier this month.

The officials were Zhou Zhenhong, Liu Tienan, Ni Fake, Wang Suyi, Li Daqiu, Tong Mingqian, Yang Kun and Qi Pingjing. Five of them were senior provincial officials, two were senior officials of central government departments while one was senior executive of a state bank.

They were among 31 high-profile officials investigated by the CCDI last year and the remaining 23 are still under investigation, including Jiang Jiemin, former head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and Li Dongsheng, former vice minister of public security.

Last year, the CPC's discipline inspection agencies punished about 182,000 officials nationwide, 13.3 percent more than in 2012.

At this year's CCDI plenary session, Xi demonstrated the resolve to continue the "high-handed posture" against corruption with language as vivid as that of last year.

"Do not let regulations become 'paper tigers' or 'scarecrows,'" Xi said, stressing that endeavors will be intensified to hold officials accountable for wrongdoing.

"Every CPC official should keep in mind that all dirty hands will be caught," he said.

There are many reasons for us to believe these words will be resolutely implemented.

With more than 85 million Party members, the CPC has been ruling the world's largest developing country with a population of over 1.3 billion. Whether the Party can well administrate itself and maintain a fine working style matters to its ruling status.

China is implementing wide-ranging reforms which were mapped out at the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. A clean Party is the solid foundation for the reform and development.

Therefore the anti-graft war will be long-term and systematic.

Xi Tuesday cited a five-year (2013-2017) plan on building a system to punish and prevent corruption as a guideline that needs meticulous implementation by Party committees at various levels in all their work aspects including reform, development and stability.

Released last month by the CPC Central Committee, the plan vowed a "high-handed posture" in the anti-graft drive and urged particular efforts to deal with cases involving power-for-money deals, judicial corruption, major violations of political discipline, corruption-induced mass incidents, commercial bribery and official selection.

The communique, issued after the third plenary session of the CCDI closed on Wednesday, disclosed more detailed measures to wage a systematic war against corruption.

Chief officials of Party organs at all levels should be aware that failing to curb corruption is a serious breach of duty, it said, adding that they will be the first to be held responsible if corruption occurs in their field of responsibility.

Discipline inspection agencies will continue investigating and punishing officials violating Party rules and laws, especially those embezzling public money, taking bribes, selling or buying government positions, bending laws for personal ends, living a corrupt lifestyle and failing to fulfill their duties.

"We will step up our efforts to hunt down corrupt officials who flee abroad and retrieve their illegal income," the document said.