The long-awaited trials for corruption in Chinese soccer have started. Experts believe the unprecedented legal action will be an important step forward to bring an end to corruption in the country's professional sports by separating business operators from regulators.

Su Yi has more.
 
The trial started on Monday morning in the northeast city of Tieling, Liaoning Province.

Zhang Jianqiang, Former Director of the Chinese Football Association referee committee, first appeared in court, facing charges of bribe-taking and bribery by non-public servants.

Law experts have been arguing about the charges for months. Some assert that officials of the Chinese Football Association are public servants while others oppose the argument.

Professor Huang Shixi is Director of the Institute of Sport Law of Shandong University.

"In China, each sport association and its relevant administrative center is actually one governing body with two names. Employees of those associations are public servants. That is different from common international practices. Most sport associations in other countries are non-governmental organizations. "

Huang Shixi says those bodies in China are both industry regulators and business operators. As a result of the inadequate supervision mechanism, some corrupted officials and referees could trade power for money.

China's professional soccer leagues have been plagued with allegations of gambling, match-fixing and corrupt referees for years.

The police launched a nationwide crackdown in March 2009 to clean up corruption. Since then, a number of officials, referees and former players have been detained.

More than 20 people allegedly involved in corruption and match-fixing scandals are facing court this week. Most of them are former officials of the Association and clubs.

In Dandong, another northeastern city, Lu Jun, a 2002 World Cup referee and the country's "Golden Whistle" prize winner, will also face trial along with Nan Yong, former Vice-President of the Chinese Football Association, and his predecessor Xie Yalong.

Professor Huang Shixi believes that these trials will stimulate the healthy development not only of soccer but of the sports industry as a whole.

"It will be a move to separate sports associations from administrative bodies and separate regulating functions from business operations."

Cai Zhenhua, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sports, is in charge of football management. He confirms that the separation is under way.

"Such a separation is inevitable. The Chinese Football Association has already handed all of the Chinese Super League games and business development issues to its company this year. We will speed up our efforts to separate those businesses in the upcoming year. "

Cai Zhenhua adds that the minimum goal for 2012 is to achieve the independent execution of China's professional soccer leagues.