Amidst an ongoing crackdown on corrupt officials in China, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has partnered with CCTV to produce a documentary series entitled "To Forge Iron, The Metal Itself Must Be Strong" with its first episode being aired on Tuesday.

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The title has been derived from a presidential speech by Xi Jinping dating back to 2012 when he had just assumed power and promised to lead in the war against graft, according to Quartz.

The documentary aims to highlight corruption in the CCDI while sending a clear message to any public servant found to be engaging in anomalies that they would not be spared under Xi's war on corruption.

"The TV series provides a first look at the stories of these corrupt discipline officials, including their luxurious lives lived at the public's expense and tearful expressions of regret," a statement from the CCDI read.

The first episode, which was aired on Tuesday, featured Zhu Mingguo, the previous head of the CCDI in Guangdong province, being interviewed by 'the Tiger', the host of the entire documentary.

"I received thousands of expensive alcohol as gifts and since the 1990s, I had been keeping money which I had received as bribes in my house," Mingguo revealed.

Zhu has been issued with a suspended death sentence following the discovery and is one of the three officials to be featured in the pilot episode.

Jin Daoming, the former head of the discipline watchdog in Shanxi province, and Wei Jian, the previous director of CCDI's no. 4 disciplinary inspection office, were also featured in the documentary. Notably, Wei has been occasionally saying that he deeply regreted graft practices while in power.

Meanwhile, ECNS quoted Zheng Chuankai, a Beijing-based lawyer who specializes in graft, saying that the documentary serves as a warning to others.

"After watching the anti-graft stories, anti-graft officers will learn lessons and regulate their behavior," Zheng said. "They will then strengthen their efforts to investigate more graft cases and work according to the new rules."

Tagschina, CCDI, Graft, Documentary