Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, speaks at a conference on national disciplinary inspection work and the 20th CPC Central Committee's first round of inspection in Beijing on March 27, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

China's top anti-graft official announced on Monday plans to carry out more inspections on the General Administration of Sport, vowing to dig deep into corruption and institutional problems in the sport field, especially in soccer.

Experts said it reflected the nation's resolution to shatter the corruption problem in Chinese soccer and bring thorough reform to the sports administration. 

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, made the remarks during a conference on national disciplinary inspection work in Beijing. 

The inspections on the administration will be "random," Li said, which means that the administration has become a key inspection target with outstanding problems identified by the public, Zhang Xixian, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

According to China's top anti-graft watchdog, random inspections are a more effective and streamlined way to locate problems, and they dispatch small teams of five to six people each to rapidly target key issues in a more flexible and "unexpected" manner. 

After inspection teams are in place, they will keep an eye on key personnel and departments, going carefully through files and duties and initiating talks with involved persons. They will ask them to give detailed descriptions of those in key positions with concentrated power, so as to find hidden clues and important information. 

The naming of soccer corruption as part of central inspection work also indicates that the inspection will respond to social concerns in a timely manner, experts noted.

The overall plan for Chinese soccer reform was issued by the General Office of the State Council, the cabinet, in 2015, but eight years on the reform has not taken effect, veteran soccer journalist and former official of the Chinese Football Association Wang Dazhao told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The expert urged relevant departments to open up and boost communication with international sports institutions, so that to learn from their management experience, and help curb corruption and other problems.  

China's top disciplinary agency disclosed several corruption cases involving officials and coaches in soccer including Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese men's soccer team.

Wang Xiaoping, director of the discipline committee of the CFA, and Huang Song, director of the CFA competition department, were both under investigation for alleged serious disciplinary and law violations.

Three other CFA officials are also under investigation, including Liu Yi, former secretary-general of the CFA, Chen Yongliang, executive deputy secretary-general and head of the national team's management department, and CFA president Chen Xuyuan, according to media reports.

The 2023 inspection tasks were also arranged at Monday's conference. Li Xi called for strengthening oversight and inspection with a focus on the country's most fundamental interests, and promoting the thorough implementation of the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans.