Chinese officials warned not to hide assets or business ties as part of ongoing anti-corruption drive

A meeting of the Politburo last month told officials they must be ‘honest and open’ when reporting their personal financial situation

Officials have said they must also disclose information about their families and travel movements as part of the self-declaration process

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Communist officials above a certain rank must declare their assets and connections. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 23 Apr 2023

China has moved to tighten the rules on declaring personal assets and business connections for officials as part of the ongoing battle against corruption.

Tens of thousands of officials have been purged and prosecuted for corruption since Xi Jinping became the party boss in 2012, including dozens who were in the upper echelon of the ruling party, and going after the “big tigers” has helped provide a warning to others.

Late last month Xi reinforced the message at a Politburo meeting, which agreed to tighten the reporting system, saying senior cadres must “honestly and faithfully” report their personal details to the party.

“Senior cadres … must be honest and open to the party in reporting your personal details, and take the initiative in accepting scrutiny,” a statement issued after the meeting said. “Cadres who are in leading positions should take the lead and set examples for others.”

“These improvements of the reporting system … have great significance to how we can perfect the self revolution and governance of our party,” it added.

Getting rid of corruption among the country’s political elites is easier said than done, especially since Xi has made clear that China will not follow the Western path, where robust democratic institutions, an independent judiciary and a free press have all been credited with deterring corrupt behaviour.