China to order disclosure of officials' assets

Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), speaks at a press conference Wednesday in Beijing. [Xinhua]

BEIJING - China will make public government officials' assets in a gradual manner, Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said here Wednesday.

The disclosure of officials' assets takes time as China has nearly 10 million civil servants and a large number of people working in government-affiliated institutions, Zhao told reporters at a press conference.

Currently, government officials are required to report not only about their income, property and investment, but also about whether their spouses or children live abroad, to the departments or institutions they work in, he said.

"Many things have to be done, step by step, before the definition of assets are made clear," he said.

Members of the CPPCC would do more research and make proposals to help improve the current regulation governing the disclosure of government officials' asset, Zhao said.