Behind every corrupt man (5)

Creative solutions

These classes have been just one of a variety of "creative" methods local governments have used to tackle corruption, which are largely focused on education.

In Henan Province, local opera actors are invited to perform plays on corruption. In Jinan, Shandong Province, elementary school students were organized to create calligraphy works on clean government.

In Jiangsu Province, the disciplinary inspection commission holds annual exhibitions on anti-corruption. Videos of officials regretting what they had done are played repeatedly.

Ma Huaide, vice president of the China University of Political Science and Law, is not impressed with these efforts.

"We need an information disclosure system of assets and income as a foundation," Ma said. "Local governments need to accept full disclosure."

Yan attempted to expand the class, however, the disciplinary inspection commission in Zhuhai, which launched a similar program to educate spouses in 2008, is not supportive of this idea. "We did not see any obvious results after the lectures. It's hard to get rid of the temptation of luxury, and it's even harder to make someone's relatives betray them," an official from the city's supervision bureau said.