Enforce official property disclosure

As China launches its harsh campaign against graft, demands from society and the media that officials disclose their properties are much louder than before. The central authority should waste no time taking concrete action to demand officials make their property holdings transparent to the public, says an editorial in China Business News. Excerpts:

The corruption issues are complicated. But property conditions are the simplest way to track and expose corrupted officials.

The Internet is now playing a leading role in raising awareness by exposing property ownership of problematic officials. Disciplinary authorities are also responsive to public opinions.

Technically, there is no problem with the authorities' investigative ability and efficiency. The question is whether authorities have the determination to match their fight against corruption with their promises to do so.

Compared with other means of exposing corruption, officials' property disclosure is the most practical and easiest. It is also easy to verify property statuses for the government.

Looking back upon the past few years, some local governments at the city and county level have already gained some experience in piloting such practices in Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces.

Transparency is the best way to dispel darkness. As some senior officials have openly declared their support for property disclosure and more local governments consider establishing and enforcing the disclosure system, the practice represents the direction of China's struggle against corruption.

This struggle concerns China's social stability and the legitimacy of the government. The central authority has to show its resolve to safeguard both its and the people's interests.