Cutting red tape

The State Council's latest initiative to further shorten the list of matters and procedures that are subject to government approval, which this time places a greater emphasis on bringing new energy to the private sector and non-governmental social undertakings, will fulfill more than its immediate goals.

What's more, it will give a substantial boost to the uphill battle against corruption.

Matters that require government approvals often result in complaints about bureaucratic red tape. But low efficiency is only part of the story. Even worse, the former ubiquity of government reviews and approval requirements proved a fertile hotbed for the practice of rent-seeking. Many corruption scandals involving behind-the-scenes deals took place in the approval process.