Champion of openness in government to retire

Former deputy official of Guangzhou's CPPCC says pressure about proposal became too much to bear

Fan Songqing is feeling relaxed and in good spirits after he stepped down as deputy secretary-general of the Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The political adviser from the Guangdong provincial capital said he had borne too much pressure after proposing that the city's Party and government officials should declare their personal assets. He led by example and disclosed his personal assets during the city's annual session of the CPPCC in January 2013.