Xinhua criticizes the practice of grassroots officials offsetting wrongdoing with past achievements, calling for upholding legal fairness.

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《English Translation》

黄刚: Hua, did you see the news? Xinhua criticized some local officials who broke the law but escaped punishment by 'making meritorious contributions after crimes.'
陈花: Yes, I saw it. Many of those cases are shocking. Some officials embezzled money but used their past awards to reduce punishment. It's ridiculous.
黄刚: Right, that’s the mindset of 'merits offsetting faults'—thinking that achievements can cancel out mistakes. But how can the law be calculated that way?
陈花: But in reality, it's sometimes difficult at the grassroots level. Some people are very capable and can help the community prosper, but their character is questionable, so the local government is reluctant to remove them.
黄刚: But if such people are always tolerated, it discourages honest officials and makes ordinary people feel it’s unfair.
陈花: I agree. As experts say, merits are merits, faults are faults. Good deeds can be praised, but crimes must be punished.
黄刚: Exactly. We should also improve transparency and supervision so that power operates under sunlight, not hidden behind 'connections' or 'cliques.'
陈花: Only then will people truly trust the system, and the law will have real authority. Equality before the law is the most basic principle.