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.

Fan also revealed to members of Guangzhou's CPPCC that his monthly income was around 10,000 yuan ($1,624).

"Making information on the operation of government as well as Party and government officials more transparent, by putting it in the public domain, is an effective way to prevent and curb corruption," Fan said.

But many colleagues and friends started to alienate him after he made the proposal, as they became worried that his words would affect their political careers, Fan said.

He was frequently asked why he had forwarded such a proposal when central and provincial governments had yet to issue formal notices requesting that Party and government officials report their assets, Fan said.

Some people unhappy about his proposal even made unkind reports about him to departments in a bid to malign his reputation, Fan said.

Fan admitted he once had two apartments, one with a floor space of 70 square meters, the other 50 sq m.

But Fan said he had paid the government in 2003 about 200,000 yuan for an extra 20 sq m of floor space for the 50-sq-m apartment in line with the prevailing market price.

According to regulations, Fan, then a county-level official, could be allotted no more than 100 sq m of housing floor space by the government.

"But some people reported to higher authorities that I had violated regulations to occupy extra floor space," Fan said.

His detractors also accused him of using public funds to tour Jiuzaigou, a famous scenic spot in southwest China's Sichuan province, when he made an inspection visit to Si-chuan's earthquake-hit city of Wenchuan in 2013.

Guangzhou financially supported the reconstruction of Wenchuan after it was struck by a major earthquake in 2008.

"I would have been put in jail if I had violated laws or had economic problems in the past, as some people have suggested," he said.

Fan said his wife and daughter did not understand the criticism of him, either. To avoid giving people the chance to level further criticism, he did not hold a wedding ceremony for his only daughter last year.

And he said he also had to put up a sign at the entrance of his father-in-law's funeral ceremony last year, saying that he would not accept any gifts so as not to give anyone grounds for gossip.

Despite this treatment, Fan said he never regretted forwarding his proposal two years ago and making his assets public knowledge.

"The CPPCC session should be a stage for telling the truth, and political advisers should have an even more active role participating in the State and government affairs by putting forward valuable proposals," he said.

Fan thanked major officials from the Guangzhou Party committee and senior advisers of the city who encouraged him after he had made his proposal.

He had been promoted to become an inspector, a prefecture-level official without any real power, in the city's advisory body before he stepped down. It was a goodwill gesture in order for him to receive a better pension.

"My resignation was approved during this year's annual session of the city's top advisory body, which ended on Feb 4," said Fan.

But Fan said he would continue to take an interest in the city's anti-corruption efforts, publication of officials' assets and related issues in the months and years ahead.

Fan is still a member of Guangzhou's CPPCC committee after resigning as deputy secretary-general and will remain so until he retires at 60.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn