ZHAO LIPING, A FORMER POLICE CHIEF and a senior leader of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been detained on suspicion of murder. Reports say he is suspected of having shot a young woman who stayed a night with him in a hotel and might be involved in bribery. Comments:

A look back at Zhao's comments in the past makes the case ironic: He advocated the cleanliness of officials, and called for subordinates to regulate themselves morally. And he is just one of the corrupt officials who boasted of "being clean". How could such a distortion happen? It is lack of regulation over power that allowed these officials to abuse it while uttering self-boasting words without any sense of shame.

Beijing News, March 23