Whither goes the anti-graft drive

Where is China's anti-corruption campaign headed? Will there be more of the same or will it lead to a revamp in governance? Discussions on these questions have gained strength since former national security chief Zhou Yongkang was put under investigation on charges of corruption.

For some, the entrapment of the biggest "tiger" (suspected corrupt official) has raised hope of government reform and the establishment of a permanent anti-corruption mechanism. Others, however, think it's too early to be so optimistic despite the leadership announcing that it would hold a high-level conference later this year to promote the rule of law.

Let's see what the former group believes in. Sun Liping, a professor at Tsinghua University, a sociologist and critic of the government's social policies, is among the optimistic lot. In his recent blog, he says: "I see cracks bursting on the wall that blocks the progress of reform." The wall he refers to is the wall of vested interests, or officials and their privileged friends and family members who habitually use China's market-oriented reform to line their pockets.