Dec 5, 2012
Translated by Zhu Na

Guangdong plans to launch a pilot program which will require party leaders and cadres in two counties and two districts to declare their family's assets and also make some of that information public, according to a recent Xinhua News Agency report.

According to Huang Xianyao (黄先耀), a member of the CPC's Guangdong Provincial Standing Committee and secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, the province's 11th party congress clearly stated that they would "begin work on trialing the policy of having leaders and cadres declare any property held by their families."

A report in today's Beijing News said that the CPC's Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection studied and learned from the experience of Hong Kong and Macao as well as other countries, and will choose one county and one district from both the northern part of Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta in which to carry out the trial.

Work on setting up the pilot is already under way.

Huang also said that the trials will be completed by 2014 and that the reforms will then be gradually rolled out into other areas of the province.

Zhou Shuzhen (周淑真), a professor from the School of International Studies at Renmin University, said quickly getting officials to declare their assets is one of the key ways of making real progress in fighting corruption. The willingness of officials to declare and make public their assets should become a precondition for promotion.

A reporter from the Beijing News also said that experts and scholars who participated in a recent Central Commission for Discipline Inspection forum had told him that a noted pick up in the speed with which the relevant departments had been pursuing corruption cases has left both party members and the general public with the feeling that the new central leadership were serious about doing something about corruption.

The Beijing News also ran a list of individuals who have been implicated in corruption scandals over the past two months. We've translated a short selection below.

Wei Jinfeng (危金峰)
The former deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Finance Bureau
In October, the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Wei had been removed from the party and his position due to "serious violations of discipline."
　　
Lǚ Yingming (吕英明)
The former deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Land and Resources
In November, a representative from the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection revealed that Lǚ was suspected of "serious violations of discipline" and was currently being investigated.

Zheng Beiquan (郑北泉)
The former deputy mayor and public security bureau chief in Yingde
After his deputy publicly blew the whistle on him, Zheng has been under investigation since November on suspicion of bending the law for his own personal gain and for being involved in serious economic crimes.
　　
Lei Zhengfu (雷政富)
The former party head of Chongqing's Beibei district
Lei was removed from his position and placed under investigation only 63 hours after a compromising "sex tape" involving the official was posted online.

Liang Daoxing (梁道行)
The former deputy mayor of Shenzhen
On Dec 1, Guangdong authorities announced that Liang had been placed under investigation on suspicion of "serious violations of discipline."

We can also add to this list the deputy party head of Sichuan. Press reports from this morning reveal that Li Chuncheng (李春城) is currently being investigated by the Central Commission of Discpline Inspection.

Links and Sources
Beijing News: 广东试点干部家庭财产申报