State-run paper hits back at Transparency Index after China slips in ranking

A Communist Party-run newspaper criticised Berlin-based Transparency International yesterday for failing to recognise the achievements of an anti-corruption campaign, after the organisation's latest corruption index said China was faring worse.

In the Corruption Perception Index released earlier this week, China dropped to 100th out of 175 countries, down sharply from last year's 80th place.

Global Times said Transparency International had lost credibility because it turned a blind eye to the crackdown that had snared hundreds of officials since late 2012 when President Xi Jinping took power as the ruling party's chief.

"The index, issued by Transparency International on a yearly basis, had been given some credence in China up till now," the editorial read. "But its credibility has plunged in Chinese public opinion with China's rapid drop on the index."

Transparency International said the rankings were based on surveys of country experts and businesspeople. It said the mainland's public sector lacked transparency and accountability despite the crackdown. In particular, it said the US-based World Justice Project gave the nation a lower score in criminal justice.

"Bringing the corrupt to justice is important, but a more transparent judicial system would do more to convince people that the campaign is part of a lasting change," said the note written by Rukshana Nanayakkara, regional outreach manager for the Asia-Pacific. "A crackdown alone will not paper over a public sector lacking transparency and accountability in public bodies.