Opinion | Four things countries like China can work on, to really tackle corruption
- Dan Hough says the new corruption index shows little has changed in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Broadly speaking, independent institutions and a free press are vital to keeping a check on those in power, and laws need to be implemented
All countries in the Asia-Pacific region claim to want to fight corruption. Yet, if the newest data from anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International is to be believed, very few are making much progress.
But many more countries perform poorly. A score under 50 indicates a serious corruption problem, while a score below 30 shows endemic corruption. This time round, 22 Asia-Pacific nations have scores under 50, out of which seven have scores below 30. Clearly, the region’s high-flyers are oases in a pretty barren desert.
The CPI itself is certainly not beyond criticism. The scores are based on perceptions of reality, after all, and not accurate measures. Boiling down corruption to a single number also seems to be simplification on steroids. Plus, the data is sourced from a relatively small number of surveys conducted by other organisations; Transparency International simply puts together what is effectively a poll of polls.
Be that as it may, for most Asia-Pacific countries, the data doesn’t make pretty reading. Hong Kong is ranked 14th, with 76 points, a drop of one place and one point from 2017. In China, President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive appears to have brought little improvement. The mainland’s score inched from 37 to 41 between 2015 and 2017, and it is now bumbling along, in 87th place with 39 points. The Philippines’ score is 36, the same as for 2013. Vietnam’s score of 33 is two points down from 2017, but still an improvement on 2015 (31 points). Leaving aside minor ups and downs, this is a story of continuity rather than change.
