Too many vice mayors in Chinese cities: newspaper

BEIJING - More than 90 percent of Chinese cities have more than six vice mayors each, with some having up to 10, Beijing News revealed on Monday.

Of 250 cities in 24 provinces, 219 have six to eight vice mayors, while another 16 have nine or 10, according to the newspaper, with experts worried that the excessive number could increase administrative costs.

Information from official websites of the 250 cities showed that only 15, or 6 percent, have between two and five vice mayors. China has been officially streamlining local government functions since August.

It is appropriate to have three to five vice mayors for each city, said Professor Zhu Lijia with the Chinese Academy of Governance. "Too many could increase administrative cost and reduce effectiveness."

Bloated officialdom is also bad for the image of the government and provides opportunities of corruption, causing hidden administrative costs, said professor Zhao Hui of the School of Pulic Administration at Nanjing Normal University.