ASSESSMENTS

China: A Railway Chief's Sentence and the Difficult Task of Reform

Jul 9, 2013 | 10:23 GMT

China's Railways After A High-Level Corruption Conviction
A high-speed train in Beijing made its first trip to Guangzhou in 2012.

(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

The career of former Chinese Railway Minister Liu Zhijun illustrates China's struggle to implement long-term institutional reform amid deeply entrenched bureaucratic interests. Liu received a suspended death sentence June 8 following his conviction for corruption, bribery and other abuses of power committed between 1986 and 2011, the year he was removed from office. His sentencing comes after the March 2013 dissolution of the Ministry of Railways, which was part of a broader central government effort to consolidate control over key industries and ministries. This consolidation will prove far more challenging than the mere removal of one official.

The sentencing of the former railway minister marks part of a difficult process of reworking China's political and economic system....

Keep Reading

Register to read three free articles

Proceed to sign up

Register Now

Already have an account?

Sign In