Shanxi should be insistent and persistent in its campaign against corruption, a top leader said on Thursday. The serious corruption seems like a cancer in Shanxi, Vice-Premier Ma Kai said at a meeting of Shanxi delegates during the two sessions.

兩會期間，國務院副總理馬凱在參加山西代表團的會議中說道，嚴重的腐敗現象是山西身上的毒瘤。

"If we don't clear it up, it will result in poor selection of officials and great harm," he said. "Shanxi is conducting a sweeping anti-corruption drive with historical significance, which is necessary and regarded as a matter of life and death for the Party and nation."

他說：“如果腐敗不清除，必然是一種逆向、錯誤的干部任用導向，危害十分巨大。當前正在深入開展一場具有歷史意義的反腐敗斗爭，實踐證明這是完全必要的，事關黨和國家的生死存亡。”

After taking the helm of the Party at the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, President Xi Jinping vowed to fight corruption, targeting both "tigers" of high rank and lowly "flies".

2012年11月十八大，習近平當選中共中央總書記后，表示必須打擊腐敗，“老虎”和“蒼蠅”一起打。

Since November 2012, more than 30 Shanxi officials have been placed under investigation for alleged graft. Between February and August 2014 alone, seven provincial-level officials were probed for corruption.

自2012年11月起，超過30名山西官員因涉嫌貪污而接受審查。僅是從2014年2月至8月，就有七名省級官員因貪污接受調查。

High-ranking officials investigated included Ren Runhou, former vice-governor in Shanxi; Jin Daoming, former vice-head of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress; and Ling Zhengce, former vice-chairman of the Shanxi provincial political advisory body.

接受調查的高級官員包括：前山西省副省長任潤厚、前山西省人大常委會副主任金道銘、以及前山西省政協副主席令政策。

Ling Zhengce is the brother of Ling Jihua, former vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, who was taken away by anti-graft officers in December for "serious discipline violations".

令政策是前全國政協副主席令計劃的哥哥。12月，令計劃因涉嫌嚴重違紀被帶走接受調查。

The fall of many Shanxi officials in the latest crackdown on corruption has been likened to an "earthquake".

在最近的反腐中，山西省眾多官員紛紛落馬，猶如一場“大地震”。

"Shanxi has been a worst-hit area for corruption, and some corruption scandals have been shocking news," Ma said.

馬凱說：“山西省確實是腐敗重災區，一些揭露出的情況駭人聽聞。”

"It's wise the central government has been determined to get rid of the cancer of corruption in Shanxi, which is in line with the long-term interests of the Shanxi people," he said.

“中央下決心治理山西腐敗割掉這些毒瘤，是完全正確的，這符合山西人民的長遠利益。”

If Shanxi doesn't have a good political environment, the market order in the province will be disturbed, and this will have a bad impact on economic development.

馬凱說，腐敗這個毒瘤不除，沒有一個良好的政治生態環境，必然會擾亂市場秩序，影響山西經濟發展。

In recent years, the main driving force for economic development in Shanxi was coal, and during an intense anti-corruption crackdown, many bosses of mining enterprises were probed on suspicion of corruption, which was a heavy blow for the development of the Shanxi economy, he said.

馬凱表示，近年來，煤炭成為促進山西經濟發展的主力。在反腐斗爭中，許多煤礦企業的老板因涉嫌腐敗接受調查，這對山西的經濟發展造成嚴重打擊。

"Shanxi should grasp both combating graft and developing its economy," Ma said.

他說：“山西應一手繼續抓黨風廉政建設和反腐敗斗爭，一手抓經濟民生。”

Wang Rulin, Party chief in Shanxi, said apart from enhanced efforts to fight corruption, attention will be paid to making adjustments to Shanxi's economic structure and researching the use of clean energy over coal.

山西省委書記王儒林說，除了加強打擊腐敗的力度，還要關注山西經濟結構調整，研究清潔能源的使用，降低煤炭使用比重。

（譯者：梁舒婷SCNU 編輯：Julie）