Guangdong to establish new models for graft fight

A new draft regulation in Guangdong province aims to fight corruption by giving the authorities the power to investigate officials for a host of wrongdoings.

The draft law, which would apply only to officials in Zhuhai, a prefecture-level city on the western coast of the province, is part of the city's broader fight against corruption, said Wang Zhibin, director of the legal council for the Legislative Committee of the Municipal People's Congress in Zhuhai.

While many cities and provinces have waged their own fights against corruption, what is significant about this draft regulation is where the province decided to test these anti-corruption measures.

Zhuhai in 2011 established Hengqin, a tiny island bordering Macao, as a new district with greater preferential policies from the State Council. Zhuhai is the first jurisdiction in the country to combine four anti-corruption departments since the Office of Clean Governance in the city's Hengqin district was created in September of last year.

Macao is a special administrative region that heavily relies on gambling and tourism. Wang said that "the anti-corruption experiences of Hong Kong and Macao (are being used) as a reference in the hope of building a model that can be promoted to the entire city (of Zhuhai)".

According to the draft regulation, the promotion of officials will be reviewed within 15 days if they have been found to have violated laws and disciplines.

"If the promotions are found to be driven by profits, their appointments will be canceled," Wang said.

Party and government officials will also be required to report their personal assets, marital status and their children's employment and education every January.

Officials in State-owned enterprises will not be allowed to take a position in SOEs for the remainder of their lives if they are convicted of crimes. The regulation also prohibits officials from being involved in commercial construction projects, land leasing, government procurement, as well as real estate and mineral development.

The Office of Clean Governance in Hengqin district combined four departments: discipline and inspection, the prosecutor's office, an anti-corruption office and the auditor's office, according to the Guangdong provincial commission for discipline inspection.