To Curb Graft, Party to Consider Changes to Official Housing System

Villas built in Yucheng County, Henan Province, for county leaders. The villas were sold for a discounted price of 400 yuan per square meter

(Beijing) – The ruling Communist Party will explore ways to provide housing to officials as a way of trying to curb property-related graft, a document released after a major party meeting says.

The idea for the system comes from Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, an institution in the capital that trains government officials. Wang proposed the idea to the party's 18th Central Committee in July. His ideas were presented in an essay that explored how officials' housing was handled abroad and in ancient China, and the feasibility of implementing new approaches.