CORRUPT: Zhang Shuguang, a former senior official of the Ministry of Railways, stands trial in Beijing on September 10, 2013, on charges of accepting bribes (GONG LEI)

In another high-profile case, Zhang Shuguang, former head of the Ministry of Railways' Transportation Bureau, stood trial in the Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court on September 10, 2013. Zhang was accused of accepting more than 47 million yuan ($7.54 million) in bribes from 14 companies between 2000 and 2011, when he served in a variety of positions in the ministry. The court has not given a date for its ruling on Zhang's case. Both Zhang's wife and daughter were found to have emigrated to the United States, where they owned a luxurious villa in Los Angeles.

"These people are civil servants, paid by taxpayers, but it seems that they are ready to flee for a reunion with their families abroad anytime. This is intolerable in any country," Xiao added.

Zhang Yiri, an associate professor at Guangzhou City Polytechnic, agreed that naked officials' patriotism and incorruptibility should be questioned. Investigating naked officials and adjusting their positions will aid in the fight against corruption involving Party and government officials, he said

The system of reassigning naked officials is like a cage that confines possible problems and corruptions, said Yang Jianwei, Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee.

However, Zheng Fenming, Director of the Institute of Modernization Strategy at the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, said that demoting naked officials is only a remedial measure for preventing corruption. "Fighting official corruption should not rely only on the investigation from anti-graft bodies and relevant departments," he added.

According to the Organization Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, the adjustments of naked officials' posts are just means but not the end, with the ultimate goal being to build a sound personnel system.

A nationwide concern

Xin with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee said that the problem of naked officials has long persisted because of a shortage of sufficient and effective measures to deal with this group of people.

The central authorities issued regulations as early as in 1997 ordering officials to disclose details of spouses and children who had emigrated.

A reporting system was implemented in 2010 but has had little impact.

In January, the CPC Central Committee released regulations stating that officials whose spouses and children have emigrated will be denied promotions. It was the first time the Party had put restrictions on naked officials.

All officials are also required to submit annual reports by January 31 each year on their personal property and on the situation of their spouses and children.

Many applauded the new regulations, saying they would prevent corrupt officials from fleeing overseas with public funds.

Compared to previous rules on the promotion of government officials, the new regulations have made more concrete stipulations and set higher standards for the behavior of officials, said Cheng Wenhao, a professor of public administration at Tsinghua University.

However, Xin thinks the regulations are not enough to deter naked officials. "The number of naked officials has to be decreased rather than just cutting off their chances at promotion," Xin said. "More specific rules and regulations targeting this group should be put in place to prevent such situations."

Xiao with Sun Yat-sen University agreed. "What is more important is not allowing anyone the opportunity to become a naked official in the first place," Xin said. "Guangzhou is doing what we should have done before. Their practices should be used nationwide."

Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration at the Chinese Academy of Governance, suggests further implementing the system for officials to declare their private information in efforts to prevent them from becoming "naked."

"Disclosure of officials' information, especially private information, is a basic way to prevent naked officials," Zhu said. Zhu insisted information about officials' spouses and children would be included into the system.

Wang Jingbo, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, proposed disclosing the names of naked officials in the future to prevent their possible corrupt actions.

Email us at: yinpumin@bjreview.com