Transparency counts when fighting corruption

If the central authority of China can match its deeds with its words in its fight against graft, corrupt Chinese officials will have the most difficult time in their career lives so far, says an editorial in China Business News. Excerpts:

The central disciplinary authority of the Communist Party of China recently vowed to start spot checks of personal information reported by officials. The personal information reporting system was established in 1987 in the Chinese mainland. But the authority seldom verifies the authenticity of the information, as is indicated by the authority's decision.

The information includes the officials' travel to foreign countries, the conditions of the officials' spouses and children, and the properties of the officials and their family members.

This information is all crucial for the authority to find clues of corruptions. But carrying out the overdue spot checks is not enough. The reporting and verifying systems should be transparent to the public.

The supervision of powers should not be done only within the power system itself. The authority must invite more supervision from society, such as the media and other powerful organs like the people's congress and judicial authorities.

International practices suggest external supervisions and the balance of power are the ultimate means to eliminate corruption and graft.