866 'naked officials' removed from posts in Guangdong province

Authorities in Guangdong province say they have removed hundreds of government workers from their posts, as part of a crackdown on so-called 'naked officials'--a term used to describe public employees who are suspected of storing money gained from graft with family members living abroad.

The latest investigation found over 2,000 naked officials in the province. 866 were demoted, or asked to retire ahead of schedule, including nine at the mayoral level. Those who were reassigned to lesser posts have little chance of being promoted again in the future. Another 200 naked officials agreed to bring their families back to China, in exchange for remaining in office.

Authorities in the province have begun requiring all government officials to update their information concerning the emigration of their family members. An information sharing system has also been built in some cities to ensure that those promoted are not corrupt.