Time for transparency

Disclosure of incomes and assets by government officials has been a hot topic for months. And public expectation has never run so high. However, the fervent anticipation would be betrayed if no concrete measures are announced and adopted in the immediate future.

There is now little debate over the necessity and urgency of such a reporting system. It has proved to be an effective mechanism to fight corruption in many countries, and that should be no exception for China, where combating serious official corruption has been a top concern both for the government and the public. Polls have repeatedly showed overwhelming public support for such a disclosure system.

This is a matter that should reflect the will of the people and be decided by the people, instead of just officials and heads of State-owned companies - the ones required to release their financial information, such as income, savings, real estate and other assets.