To win war against corruption, Xi Jinping must tackle the rot within the system
Curtis Chin says America's handling of its corrupt officials makes clear the need for rule of law
In recent months, Chinese consumers have seen US companies in China come in for government criticism, if not outright attack, for food safety, price fixing and other unsavoury practices. The not-so-subtle message to China's citizens could well be: don't go thinking that foreign brands, products or behaviour are better than those of China.
That message could well be expanded to the behaviour of government leaders, as senior officials in both China and the US have been brought down by corruption scandals.
Yet critical differences also abound as contrasting approaches to fighting corruption underscore that China, for now, remains more rule by party, or "people", than rule by law.
In the US, the conviction by a federal court of Bob and Maureen McDonnell, the former governor and first lady of my former home state of Virginia, for taking bribes has derailed the career of a rising political star, once touted as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.
The verdict stemmed from charges related to the couple helping a wealthy businessman, Jonnie Williams, in exchange for more than US$177,000 in gifts and loans.
A world away, President Xi Jinping's much touted anti-corruption drive against "tigers" and "flies" continues to unfold.