Then China's Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang reacts as he attends the Hebei delegation discussion sessions at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing in this October 16, 2007. [Photo/Agencies]

Break the bird's wings: capture the underlings to outflank the ringleader

In recently exposed cases, many officials were found to form "corrupt gangs", through which they colluded with and shielded each other. For those "tigers"who have gained considerable power in gangs, the investigators choose to take a detour by capturing their flunkies and gradually drawing the net to nail the agitators.

The report cited Zhou Yongkang's case as an example of the tactic. The investigators paved the way for the fall of Zhou, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee in charge of domestic security, by busting the "secretary gang"and the "petroleum gang"that formed around him.

Accurate second kill: sharpen the knife quietly and snap the prey in no time

Yang Weize, former Party chief of Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, was put under investigation on Jan 4, 2015. Only three days before the announcement, Yang participated in a long-distance race in Nanjing, obviously unaware of the upcoming crisis.

The second kill suffered by Yang is not unusual among other corrupt officials. This tactic has effectively deterred corrupt officials. But it requires the watchdog to grind its blade quietly to avoid alerting the targets.