The National Audit Office has launched an auditing blitz into the financial affairs of 19 top universities, including Peking University, Tsinghua University and Dalian University of Technology.

The National Audit Office will check their financial balance and educational charges of these schools in 2003, and may extend the investigation to previous years if any questionable issues arise.

Liu Jiayi, deputy auditor general of the National Audit Office, said:  "This special auditing blitz on universities will focus on their financial management, charging and investment situations, trying to sort out any illegal activity or deficiency of the current financial system (of institutes of higher learning)."

Specially-appointed auditors have already arrived at the universities for audit and investigation. In Dalian University of Technology, for example, notices have been posted and a 24-hour hotline has been set up to encourage teachers and students to provide information about any inefficiency, waste, unreasonable charge, problems with expenditure and investment, or serious crimes like corruption, bribery and misuse of public money in the school.

On the website of Peking University, the audit crew from the National Audit Office has announced "Eight NO's" for the auditors to ensure the objectivity and correctness of the audit work.

These inculde no accomodation, no free meal, no free transport, no entertainment, no communication facility or office utility, no gift, given from or arranged by the school will be accepted, and the auditors are also not allowed to make any request unrelated to their work or ask for any reimbursement from the school.

(China Daily June 25, 2004)