China intellectuals urge party leaders to disclose wealth

BEIJING (REUTERS) - About 65 Chinese academics, lawyers and human rights activists have signed an open letter demanding that top members of the ruling Communist Party reveal their financial assets, saying it is the most fundamental way to solve corruption.

The letter will be presented to parliament when it meets for its annual session in March, according to the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper.

Petitions to China's parliament are usually ignored. But the public denunciation of corruption underscores the top challenge facing new party chief Xi Jinping, who has himself warned that if corruption were allowed to run wild, the party risked major unrest and the collapse of its rule.

The letter calls on the 205 newly named members of the party's Central Committee to divulge their personal wealth. The call follows a stream of scandals involving party members.