New approach to battle corruption necessary

China's fight against corruption should become institutional instead of treating the problem on a case-by-case basis, said an editorial in China Business News (excerpts below).

Some corrupt ministerial and provincial officials were sacked recently. The investigations into their cases show the difficulty of finding evidence of corruption. Some of the officials took bribes in various forms through a third party. Both the bribes and the way the officials took bribes are new in China.

Capturing one corrupt official in one place does not mean an end to a local anti-corruption campaign. The influence of corrupt officials may poison the local atmosphere and environment in the government. More corrupt officials will emerge in such an environment.

In Henan province, four officials were charged with corruption. Each had served in turn as head of the provincial transportation department. It means the pro-corruption system must be reformed.

The people must have the right and power to supervise the officials. The transparency of government spending and disclosure of officials' illegal assets are necessary to eliminate corruption.

The authority should also hold officials responsible for promoting corrupt officials. The people should have veto power over the assessment of officials' performance and promotion.