Serious graft becomes thing of past in China, CY Leung says

China has now managed to eliminate serious corruption, CY Leung, a vice-chairman of the nation's top political advisory body, said on Sunday (Oct. 22).

The former chief executive, now a leading member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said this achievement in overcoming graft was the reason that President Xi Jinping proposed to build a "Clean Silk Road" during this week's landmark Belt and Road forum.

Leung, who attended the forum in Beijing, told a Commercial Radio program that some neighboring countries still struggled with graft.

"Of course currently in our country there is still corruption, as there is in every society. But it is not as widespread or serious as before," he said.

"So when it comes to international cooperation, especially with countries that have rather serious problems in this regard, we proposed building a Clean Silk Road. This means we have the confidence to advocate this, to achieve probity, at least in the Belt and Road countries," according to Leung.

Leung also dismissed criticisms that the Belt and Road Initiative is a debt trap for participating countries.

He said the initiative, which marked its tenth anniversary this week, is not just about economic cooperation, but mutual assistance.

"We have eliminated poverty, so we should use some of our resources to help people in foreign countries in the capacity of NGOs," he said of Beijing's initiative.