My blog post of 12 March reported Premier Wen Jiabao, in his annual address to the National People’s Congress, stating that corruption threatened the rule of the CCP.  China’s former state auditor, Li Jinhua has, in the official ‘People’s Daily’ on-line, identified the business dealings of Party officials as the main source of public dissatisfaction.  Li is currently vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Conference. 

91% of respondents in a People’s Daily on-line opinion poll believe that all rich families have political backgrounds. 

A senior official, speaking out through the CCP’s own newspaper against corruption and nepotism, is significant and seems to confirm the determination of the leadership to fight corruption.  Hitherto, public discussion has been discouraged as potentially destabilizing.  Maybe there is now a realization that corruption is a destabilizing factor and that the media and the public at large can play important roles in fighting corruption.