China exposes local governments falsifying performance data

Beijing has revealed three instances where local governments manipulated performance data to artificially boost their records. The cases, publicized by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and a central working group, highlight typical misconduct in official duties and performance evaluations.

One prominent case involved Nanning, the capital of China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Officials there falsely inflated the city's revenue for the 2024 financial year by 2.83 billion yuan (US$416.5 million). They achieved this by assigning values to 15 plots of land, which were initially allocated for free to state-owned enterprises. These companies then paid so-called land allocation fees to the local finance department, which recorded the funds as government revenue. The money was subsequently returned to the companies as land expropriation compensation. Astonishingly, one plot of land was reportedly used in this manner up to 18 times.

Another case exposed misconduct in the Xincheng district of Jiuquan, Gansu province. Officials allegedly mislabeled a landscape project as flood control and water pollution control infrastructure. This misclassification allowed them to fraudulently obtain 55.95 million yuan in special treasury bonds issued in 2024. These revelations come as part of an education campaign on the "correct view of political performance," aiming to curb such fraudulent practices.