China's SOEs to be under public scrutiny

BEIJING - China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are being asked to disclose information related to finances and performance in an effort to make them more transparent, a government statement said Tuesday.

SOEs should publicize information about maintenance and appreciation of state assets as well as reforms and restructuring, the directive from the General Office of the State Council said.

The order came as the Communist Party of China's top anti-corruption agency intensified SOE investigations.

Graft investigations have been launched into Xu Jianyi, chairman of FAW Group, and Liao Yongyuan, general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Tuesday's statement also put more pressure to disclose data on air quality, water environment quality and pollutant emissions.

It requested a list of the governments' food and drug safety checks and powers, as well as typical cases, to be published. The document said details of major government investments that concern public interest and livelihood, including railway and land management projects, should be disclosed.

The statement said the move was aimed building a government that is innovative, clean, and service-oriented.