Opinion | Families and associates of China's corrupt officials must not escape scrutiny
Hu Shuli says the number of secretaries found to be as corruptas their bosses signals a need for stronger institutions to check abuse
China's crackdown on corruption is widening. At the same time, investigators are also drilling down and unearthing more dirt in individual cases. As more officials fall from grace, the number of political secretaries found to be as corrupt as their bosses has become a talking point.
To root out corruption, it's not enough to merely cut out the tumour; we must also clean out the immediate environment to prevent the disease spreading.
Recently, the international online edition of the People's Daily republished a 1990 speech by President Xi Jinping , then a high-ranking official in Fujian , in which he warned political secretaries against making use of their bosses' power for their own gain.
In the wake of recent scandals involving political secretaries, the republication of the speech was timely. It's worth noting also that provinces and regions including Yunnan, Guangxi, Hebei and Shandong have abolished the secretarial posts serving officials of certain ranks. The move is no coincidence.
As Xi himself pointed out, a secretary's work is important and demanding; they must provide assistance but not interfere, demonstrate independence of mind yet not defy their bosses. Thanks to the tough training they get, many secretaries become good leaders themselves. However, a good number have not only failed to perform their basic duties but even turned corrupt. Some did so behind their bosses' backs while others colluded with their crooked bosses. Some notorious examples were Chen Xitong's secretary Chen Jian, Chen Liangyu's secretary Qin Yu, Gu Junshan's secretary Qiao Xijun, and Liu Tienan's secretary Wang Yong.
Their corruption stems from the same rotten core: unfettered power. To curb corruption, we must rein in power. Ultimately, China needs a society built on the rule of law. For now, the more practicable goal of reform is to decentralise power, to put in place some checks and balances for more transparency and accountability.
Provincial governments that have abolished secretarial posts are not just trying to reduce corruption among secretaries; they are also targeting the senior officials these secretaries serve. By cutting out a layer of people who can act to facilitate bribery or a transfer of benefit, the authorities are hoping to "isolate" the senior officials, who will find it harder to cheat and abuse their power without an assistant at their beck and call.