Despite a denial from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the stigma of corruption that has emerged during the prosecution of Zhang Shuguang, former deputy chief engineer of the previous Ministry of Railways, has not been removed.

When Zhang stood trial for bribery at a Beijing court on Tuesday, he admitted the charge against him, but said 23 million yuan ($4.41 million) of the bribes he had received was used to buy votes in his bid to secure membership to the academy.

Due to easy access to government-subsidized research projects, CAS membership has always been competed for fiercely, and Zhang's allegations suggest that previous complaints about the membership process have not put an end to the irregularities that have sparked public outcries.