3 Gorges corrects wrongdoing in anti-graft campaign

he leaders of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), which runs the world's largest hydropower project, are adopting smaller offices and cheaper cars in response to graft inspections by the Communist Party of China's discipline watchdog. The move, announced on Monday, came days after discipline inspectors sent by China's central authorities uncovered "clues" related to wrongdoing in CTGC after concluding a two-month inspection. Power abuse in the bidding and contracting of projects, seizure of multiple apartments, and extravagant official receptions were problems revealed during the inspection, according to a report posted on the CTGC's website. Discipline inspectors also detected irregularities and a lack of transparency in the corporation's decision-making, as well as communication inefficiencies among officials holding important posts. As part of the correction efforts, company chiefs have moved to temporary offices to let construction firms downgrade their offices, which were either too big or excessively decorated, said the company. Cars for use by the company's top two executives have also been changed from Audi 2.8L to 2.4L, it added. The company promised to further reduce its expenditure on government-funded vehicles, overseas trips and receptions, traditionally held to be the three biggest sources of corruption and waste, by another 10 percent in 2014 after cutting such spending in 2013 by 52.49 million yuan (about 8.58 million U.S. dollars). CTGC chairman Cao Guangjing said the company would take a zero-tolerance attitude toward corruption and severely punish those implicated in the corruption cases.