The Chinese government has launched a website for live broadcasts of court trials to promote "openness". This comes at the same time as a corruption crackdown and increase in repression.
The website went live on Wednesday and is sponsored by ChinaCourt.org. It is a channel for local courts at all levels to air trials live online. China Court said allowing the public to supervise proceedings in this way will enhance judicial justice and increase the public’s knowledge.
In January President Xi Jinping vowed to stamp down on corruption and the site appears to be the latest attempt to do so, along with the house arrest of senior official Zhou Yongkang. Just over a week ago Transparency International labelled China as having a 'serious corruption problem'.
The government also electronically exposed themselves in October when the CCP's official site launched accounts on Weibo and WeChat. State media labelled the move “a display of the central government's willingness to approach the public and improve transparency in the age of internet.”
This week former US ambassador to China Winston Lord accused Xi of stifling criticism after the government threatened to expel foreign journalists. Xi had "launched the most sweeping [campaign of] repression and censorship since Tiananmen Square," he said.
0 User Comments