Taking corruption by the horns

Corruption in China is becoming increasingly serious and the country's leadership has reiterated the urgency to fight it through strengthened institutional mechanisms and more regulations. Party chief Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of "putting power in the cage of regulations" and "swapping flies as well as tigers".

So just how serious a problem corruption has become since the reform and opening-up were introduced. In 1979, Wang Shouxin was declared the most corrupt person in China for embezzling 500,000 yuan ($80,317). Today, corrupt government officials would consider the amount chicken feed.

Before the 1980s, officials had much fewer chances to "make money on the side" because China had not yet embraced market economy and very few funds were transferred through governments. Those days, constant political campaigns and rectitude drives also helped ensure that officials remained honest and maintained a thrifty lifestyle.