Within a couple of hours of the news breaking, welcome opinions flooded Chinese Internet portals after the central government's announcement of its decision to sack Chen Liangyu, a top official in Shanghai, for his involvement in a social security fund scandal.

The decision was made by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). For the last four years, and until a Political Bureau meeting on Sunday, Chen was secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. In the meantime, he also served as mayor of China's most important business city from February to November in 2002.

What would have been a successful career now looks to be ending in disgrace once the official is found to have used his influence to weaken the discipline of the nation's financial system, and to generate personal benefits of his friends, both in business and in government, and for his relatives.

But viewed from the point of view of public interest, this piece of news shows progress of a very fortunate kind. Official corruption is not to be tolerated on however high a level. This has been a pledge of the nation's top leadership all along. And as it was repeated in the announcement yesterday, words were matched with action.

This fact won immediate applause from the public, and was taken as an unmistakable proof of China's determination to root out corruption and safeguard the rule of law.

According to a preliminary investigation report on Chen's problems, prepared by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Chen was found accountable for a multitude of discipline violations, but most importantly, his alleged role in the misappropriation of Shanghai's social security funds.

As a large developing economy, newly focused on market-oriented reform, China still has to make considerable efforts to strengthen its young and in some ways immature financial system. All officials are duty-bound to keep the financial system safe from attempts to interfere with its professional management.

Protecting the social security fund, built on savings from the hard work of millions of men and women in factories and various service jobs, is of particular importance because it is insurance of a decent livelihood and of a harmonious society. China can afford no loopholes.

Source: China Daily