People Online’s Strong Country (qiangguo) forum interviewed Gao Xinmin, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, to talk about new regulations restricting China’s “naked officials.” “Naked officials” are officials whose spouses and children live overseas. Via Global Times:
The restriction does not clearly regulate the appointment of naked officials, but some local governments have their own regulations. In Shenzhen, officials whose spouses and children have all migrated abroad are not qualified to be heads of Party and government agencies, that is, they cannot be appointed principal positions.
However, as long as they do not undertake illegal actions, they have the right to take deputy positions. The temporary restriction also emphasized these officials’ legal rights.
The new restriction also raised a question of transferring positions. In order to avoid arousing suspicion and conflict of interest, a “naked official” should not take a position that is related to the country where the official’s spouse or children have migrated. This regulation is very strict, as it involves national interests.
Public supervision is also necessary. Since the naked official’s spouse and children are far away, other people around the official are those who know him or her best. How can they be supervised? This requires opening up officials’ work performance, personal wealth and family situation, so the public could judge whether the information reported is true or not.
