China's graft whistleblowing websites hit the right note

BEIJING -- Websites of provincial discipline inspection agencies have been a resounding success, said the top discipline inspection agency on Friday.

All 31 provincial discipline inspection agencies on the Chinese mainland now have websites, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China.

All these sites receive online tip-offs about officials' misbehavior. Most of them offer a one-click gateway to the section, with a link prominent on the front page.

Information received through websites has increased notably, said the CCDI. In east China's Shandong Province, for example, the number of complaints received doubled on the day the website opened.

It is also easier for inspectors to publish information on corrupt officials by naming and shaming those who break party discipline; publicizing sanctions against them; hosting online press conferences; opening forums; and organizing surveys.

According to the Shanghai agency, there were 70,000 visits to its website in 2013, double the number in 2010, its first year of operation.

The CCDI website has drawn positive reviews for promptly publishing information about investigations and regularly naming officials who have broken the eight anti-bureaucracy and formalism rules.

The CCDI site also solicits public opinion about corruption. This month, the public have been invited to be on the lookout for excessive spending during the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival.