China's leaders may face scrutiny

The views of China's new leadership are still shadowy

China's top leaders have hinted they may make themselves open to public scrutiny, amid mounting concern that official corruption is eroding the ruling Communist Party's authority.

A meeting of the party's key Politburo decided that officials at all levels, especially Politburo members, should submit to public supervision, according to the official People's Daily.

CORRUPTION'S TOLL

Seen to affect every level of Chinese life

Senior party members implicated

Frequently raised as major issue during 1989 protests

Inside China's Ruling Party

No further details were given, though the report pointed out that the meeting was presided over by new party chief Hu Jintao.

The move, if confirmed, would be the clearest sign yet that the country's new generation of leaders, promoted last year, is prepared to tackle subjects that have been taboo since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Reformers in the party were then urging top leaders to make public their own and their families' wealth and stem mounting criticism of official corruption and nepotism.

But their voices were silenced in the 1990s by a harder-line leadership, some of whose members were suspected of shielding relatives from investigation.

Analysts are now watching to see if the new leadership is prepared to open debate on other, stalled reforms, including steps towards limited political reform.

Mr Hu's views on these subjects are not known because he took care during his ascent to power to keep his opinions private.

However, there have been reports that another new Politburo member, Zeng Qinghong, harbours hopes of introducing some political reform.

Mr Zeng, a protégé of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, has been appearing more prominently in China's media than his official party position should warrant.