Heightened war on corruption – New regulation requires officials to declare assets

The third eye: Win, lose or draw? Country’s decades-long war on corruption

By Huang Daohen

The People’s Republic first turned its attention to government corruption in 1982. As the battle enters its third decade, the obvious question is whether the country is winning the war. Gao Ying, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said the answer is not clear.

“Because there is no direct way to measure the rate of corruption, and the data we have may not accurately reflect the changes,” Gao said.

Earlier this year, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP), the nation’s top prosecuting body, said some 4,000 officials have fled overseas with as much as 340 billion yuan in stolen government funds over the past three decades.

Many went to the US, Canada and Australia, and were able to launder the money, buy real estate and obtain fake IDs through syndicates, the SPP said.

But Gao said the figures don’t necessarily mean the country has lost its war on corruption. “The fight against corruption is another Long March for China and has a long way to go,” she said. The professor believes the government’s recent directive requiring officials to declare their assets is another firm step toward combating corruption.

“The new rules target new problems in social development,” Gao said. During the economic transition period, corrupt officials took bribes not only in cash, but also in property, stocks and share rights, so the latest regulation would effectively patch existing holes, she said.

But Gao said the regulation should have more detailed provisions and harsher punishments. “Many corrupt officials have relatives who invest in companies or are involved in business. This happens. And you cannot expect the suspects to report this,” she said.

In the late 1990s, Gao said the Beijing municipal government considered enforcing anti-corruption rules by publicizing the personal assets of its officials. But Beijing dropped the idea after a study in two provinces showed the regulation would have a limited effect.

“You filled it out on your own and nobody would check the declarations,” she said. “It’s rare to find a person who will fill it out honestly.”