China launches economic data inspections to ‘prevent, punish falsification and fabrication’ as key census begins
- China’s statistics bureau will conduct data inspections in the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hunan, Guizhou and Shaanxi starting this month
- Beijing has long pledged to improve the quality of its economic data, with a particular focus this year ahead of the fifth national economic census
China has launched a statistical inspection specially targeting local data fraud, a move attempting to ensure authenticity and ease market concerns with the closely watched fifth national economic census already under way.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Tuesday that it will conduct the first specialised data inspections of the year starting from late July, covering the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hunan, Guizhou and Shaanxi.
“As an important ‘weapon’ of statistical supervision, the specialised statistical inspection is … to resolutely prevent and punish data falsification and fabrication,” the statistics bureau said.
“It is an important institutional arrangement to continuously enhance the scientificity and authority of statistical work and the authenticity and accuracy of statistical data.”
NBS inspection teams have already been stationed in three provinces as of Tuesday, and their inspections would last around 13 days, the bureau added.