China’s social credit system has been criticized by Western critics for being an invasion of privacy, but new guidelines show how the social credit system would improve transparency and within China’s economy.

Among leaders and everyday Chinese alike, talk of social credit is rife. The goal of establishing a social credit regime by 2020 has led to targeting of malfeasance in all realms of society, from government conduct to business practices to individual fraud, in a sign that China’s leaders expect the country to raise its standards of accountability.