What can the multi-million dollar wedding of Chelsea Clinton teach Chinese officials about corruption? According to columnist Zhang Dong Yang of the state-controlled Yangtze Daily News, the fact that former President Clinton could pay for such extravagance without having to hide it shows that he made his money honorably and with public knowledge – as opposed to public officials in China, who need never divulge their assets and wouldn’t dare be so openly ostentatious, for fear that their ill-gotten wealth would be exposed.
For the Yangtze Daily News, columnist Zhang Dong Yang writes in part:
On July 31, America’s former president, Bill Clinton, spent something like 30 million Renminbi [$4.4 million] on his daughter’s extravagant wedding.
Let us try and imagine what would happen if a retired public official of China held such an extravagant wedding for his daughter? He would be challenged by the media, which would attempt to expose any scandal, the public would vehemently denounce the former official and higher authorities would have no choice but to investigate. After doing so, they would undoubtedly find several problematic items. Not only would such an extravagant wedding or funeral be considered “showing off,” but it would be seen as opportunistic to use such an occasion to unfairly accumulate wealth. Related departments have repeatedly issued orders on this issue.
So do Americans think Clinton’s extravagant wedding should have been banned?
Not a word of suspicion has been heard from the American public. On the contrary, the American people have treated Chelsea’s wedding as if it were their own daughter getting married. Even in the little town where the ceremony was conducted, everyone was captivated by the joyous event, as if the Olympics Games had come to town.I don’t mean to overindulge Mr. Clinton; I just want highlight that in the United States, the system for declaring the wealth of a public official is very strict and detailed. All government workers must declare their personal assets before assuming office – and after taking up office, they must issue reports monthly. Not only do they have to declare their personal assets, but those of their spouses, sons and daughters as well. Moreover, all financial records are open to the public and are under society’s supervision.
Can you imagine our public officials having all of their financial assets open for public viewing and monitored by the government and the people? Only then can the unfair accumulation of wealth be effectively prevented. We hope our country’s related departments, which are beefing up anti-corruption rules to ensure a clean government, become inspired by the fact that without public accusation, the daughter of the Clintons dared marry in such extravagant circumstances.
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