Public urges action following CPC's vow

BEIJING - The Chinese public on Wednesday welcomed the determination of the new leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to reject extravagance and reduce bureaucratism, urging action from officials at all levels.

At a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Tuesday, a document offering explicit requirements on eight aspects of officials' work style was adopted, including reducing meetings, condensing papers, shortening traffic control during officials' visits, and exercising thrift.

There should be "no welcome banners, no red carpets, no floral arrangements or grand receptions for officials' visits," said the statement approved at the meeting.

The meeting, presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, requires Political Bureau members themselves to follow the requirements before they are handed down to officials at lower levels -- a system favored by the Chinese people.

Gan Guiqin, a businesswoman in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, said she heard the news on the radio while she was driving, and it reminded her of an important appointment she had missed.

"Two years ago when a senior official visited the city, I was stuck in the traffic control and missed an appointment with important foreign clients that day," said Gan.

She expects central and local governments at various levels to duly meet the requirements and have the implementation supervised.

"I hope the good regulation is more than just a temporary show, " she said.

The CPC has long rejected formalism and bureaucratism. In 1942, late Chairman Mao Zedong said the Party should get rid of stereotypical writing and adopt a refreshing Marxism-Leninism writing style to promote better revolutionary development.

Decades later, however, officials continue to deliver seemingly endless speeches in formal meetings or ceremonies, and ordinary people are bothered by traffic control or welcome ceremony preparations during these officials' visits.

Chen Siyi, a renowned Chinese writer, said such a deep-rooted atmosphere will take time to change and action should be seen following the leadership's requirements.

"Actions speak louder than words," he said.

Chen said similar regulations have been released in the past, but they were poorly implemented. He warned that lower-level officials who like to flatter their way into promotions may come up with methods to ignore the requirements.

Low-level government officials themselves, however, believe in the new requirements. Unlike previous regulations that required lower-level officials to discipline themselves, the new regulations will be fully implemented as the top leadership sets themselves as an example.

"If the top officials can do it, provincial officials have no reason not to. They dare not go against the regulations, and neither do county- and lower-level officials," said Lan Zhanbiao, Party chief of Taoyuan Township of Jinzhou City in north China's Hebei Province.

Lan said high-level officials making simple, unceremonious visits would also help them learn the real situations of ordinary people more than what lower-ranking officials prepare in advance.

Wu Zhongmin, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said only if officials put themselves in the position of "serving the people," which is always the CPC's guideline, can they discipline themselves and avoid bothering people in their work.

He said it took courage for the top leadership to address these long-entrenched issues, and he hopes these efforts are fruitful.

"The requirement is a breakthrough, and it is expected that more people-recognized policies will come up," said Wu.