Recently, the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Wubu County Committee in Shaanxi Province, northwest China, launched a menu of so-called anti-corruption dishes during a training session in its canteen. Party schools are run by CPC committees with a mission to train officials.

A dish of wood ear mushrooms, which are black, fried with Chinese yams, which are white, was named heibaifenming, which literally means a clear distinction between black and white, with the other dishes on the menu being given similar anti-corruption-themed names. The school's officials presented the new menu as an innovative method to educate Party members about integrity and frugality. However, the menu has been widely ridiculed by society. The public sees the names of the dishes as being more about putting on a show than combating corruption.

In response, the CPC Wubu County Committee investigated the case and instructed the Party school to discontinue the practice. The official in charge was suspended from duty.

Lu Xinwen (ThePaper.cn): The Party school may mean to impress the public with its "ingenious innovation," showing how much work it has done to promote integrity among trainees. However, if placing form over function in this way gains favor, it may spread to other institutions, causing them to make shows of their anti-corruption measures while making no tangible efforts to improve clean governance.

The good news is that this practice was soon brought to a halt, but still it serves as a warning that there remains a lot to be done to eradicate performative acts in the Party's anti-corruption efforts.

Zhou Bin (www.cqcb.com): It's ludicrous to believe or to tell others to believe that by consuming ordinary dishes with anti-corruption names, officials will automatically absorb the essence of anti-corruption education. There is no such elixir. The way to curb or even eradicate corruption is not to serve beautifully named dishes, but to implement an effective supervisory system and to instill a belief in remaining clean and upright.

Wubu's negative example should be used to warn other institutions against making similar mistakes. They should spend more time and energy on tangible work to help the public solve their difficulties instead of amusing themselves with such farcical displays.

Bo Nan (baijiahao.baidu.com): The lopsided view is that the Party school's naming of the dishes amounts to a show. In my opinion, they are not totally useless. Anti-corruption posters and videos are widely seen on buses and subways, but no one expects this publicity will enlighten officials and Party members in the moment they see them. These practices only mean to reinforce people's consciousness of remaining clean and upright. Similarly, the anti-corruption-themed dishes in Wubu are only a supplement to the existing anti-corruption education. In this sense, they did not play their cards wrong.

However, this reason is not enough to justify putting form over function. Party schools are important fortresses where Party members receive intensive education on integrity and avoiding corruption. Ensuring the education is really effective demands careful course design. Innovation in education is welcome, but that does not mean using witticisms. The Party school in Wubu did not change its menu quietly. Instead, it invited local media to report on the "innovative" teaching method. It's obvious the school planned to brag about this in its year-end performance report to its superior organizations. Although it put a lot of effort into the menu, its priorities were misplaced.

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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