Chinese Officials to Report Personal Assets

New rules attempt to increase transparency for government officials but experts say the new regulations fail to require public disclosure

China released new government accounting rules on July 11 to counter corruption among government officials. Officials ranked at or higher than the deputy division chief-level must report personal income, real estate, investment, changes in marital status and the occupations of their children.

The rules, issued by the State Council and the Chinese Communist Party, specify a list of government positions that report personal assets and income. According to the rules, failure to comply could result in dismissal.

Anti-corruption rules have been the subject of heated public debate. According to Professor Zhu Lijia from the National Academy of Governance, the new regulations require that the occupations of spouses and children of officials be disclosed. While the most recent rules are seen as a breakthrough in tracking illicit income, Zhu said that not allowing public disclosure of official assets may dilute the intended effect of the rules.