People hate corrupt officials both in Russia and in China. Both countries are engaged in a merciless struggle against corruption, but it has not yet produced the desired outcome.

       It is roughly 20 years since Boris Yeltsin issued a decree which marked the beginning of the fight against corruption in post-Soviet Russia. People hate corrupt officials both in Russia and in China. Both countries are engaged in a merciless struggle against corruption, but it has not yet produced the desired outcome.

       Fighting corruption was one of Dmitry Medvedev’s pre-election pledges. He has consistently worked to improve legislation in this area throughout his time as president.

       In 2008, Medvedev set up a new presidential anti-corruption committee and approved the National Anti-Corruption Plan. An anti-corruption law was adopted, requiring state officials to declare their incomes and those of their families. In 2009, he signed five decrees outlining the procedure for state officials to disclose details of their incomes and property. In 2010, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy was approved.

       In 2011, Medvedev initiated a series of amendments to the Criminal Code, setting the size of fines for giving or receiving bribes, as well as for mediation, at 25 to 100 times the size of the actual bribe. He also said in March that a bill aimed at monitoring the spending of state officials was being prepared.

       In other words, President Medvedev has laid the solid institutional and legal foundation for fighting corruption. The strength of Russia’s anti-corruption policies lies precisely in these innovations.

       But, as they say, Moscow wasn't built in a day. The same is true of fighting corruption – it is a long road. But the first results are already visible. As an expert on Russia, I visit the country several times a year. While in the early 2000s, I could feel a certain pressure from law enforcement agents, which was especially noticeable for foreign nationals, the police’s attitude to foreigners has greatly improved since then. Other people from my country have also noticed this.

       Let me cite some reliable statistics. According to reports by the federal statistics service, Rosstat, and the Ministry of the Interior, the number of bribery cases uncovered increased from 3,337 in 1992 to 13,141 in 2009. However, since 2009 it has started falling, to 12,012 in 2010 and 10,952 in 2011. While in 2008 Russia was ranked 147 out of 180 countries by Transparency International, in 2011 it came 143 out of 182 countries.

       So what could be done to improve the situation? Fighting corruption primarily requires consistent, thorough and painstaking efforts by all the institutions concerned. All state officials should be required to report to taxpayers and independent public organizations. But setting up a special federal agency to fight corruption will inevitably expand the number of state officials, which means breeding more corruption. China has learned this lesson the hard way.

       On the other hand, introducing an amendment to confiscate property as a penalty for accepting bribes or abuse of office could have a significant effect. For example, in China, these “humble servants of the people” know how to “sincerely repent their corrupt actions” and plead guilty to “a weakening of ideology and loss of self-discipline”. In fact they'll plead anything to keep what they have “earned by their titanic labor”. But with their illegal gains confiscated, they end up with nothing.

       As for increasing the punishment for officials found guilty of corruption, this policy is also quite effective. On the other hand, in China bribery is being “devalued”. While previously, a million yuan bribe could earn you the death penalty, now even a 100 million yuan bribe is only worth a life sentence. The death penalty does not appear to be much of a deterrent against corruption. It is important to understand that the focus should be on the inevitability of punishment for those who break the law, rather than on the severity of the punishment itself.

       As the Chinese proverb says, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Russia, like China, has already made this first step in the fight against corruption, and a big one at that.

       Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.