‘Corrupt' Chinese officials seized nearly $1 billion


Chinese officials convicted in President Xi Jinping's sprawling anti-corruption drive have embezzled or misused nearly $1 billion in public funds, a new report has found.The official graft has caused widespread public anger in China, and since taking over as the ruling Communist Party's leader in 2012, Xi has overseen a much-publicized campaign against the scourge.But critics say there is a lack of transparency around the drive and that it has been used to settle political scores.ChinaFile, a publication of the Asia Society in New York City, has tallied nearly 1,500 publicly-announced targets of the campaign, and has released a searchable database. It shows that 231 officials have been convicted and sentenced in Chinese courts.