China corruption czar hears calls for transparency following top-level scandals

BEIJING (AFP) - China's ruling elite should be forced to disclose their assets, according to proposals put to the new anti-corruption czar, it was reported on Monday as news of another graft scandal broke.

Pressure on the Communist Party to combat corruption has intensified after a traumatic year marked by embarrassing revelations of top-level corruption and power abuse.

Several top scholars met on Friday with Wang Qishan, who was appointed head of the ruling Communist Party's top anti-corruption body this month, to put forward proposals on fighting graft, the state run Global Times reported.

Professor Zhou Shuzhen, a professor at Beijing's People's University, called for "a system to publish details of official's assets as soon as possible", the report said, adding that Prof Zhou recommended officials first disclose their property assets.