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China Jails Anti-Corruption Activists

Asked about officials’ money.

Despite reports of widespread corruption and graft enriching senior leaders in China, public discussion of the wealth of officials remains off-limits. That was made clear Thursday as three activists were jailed in China for campaigning for government officials to disclose their wealth. Liu Ping and Wei Zhongping were sentenced to six and a half years in prison for using a cult to damage law enforcement, gathering a mob to disturb order in public places, and picking quarrels and provoking disputes. The other, Li Sihua, was given three years for picking quarrels and provoking disputes. President Xi Jinping has publicly campaigned against graft, but it seems he may not have been very serious. The latest clampdown came after party leaders uncovered billions of dollars in undisclosed assets.