Expectations high after CPC vow

BEIJING - Chinese Internet users and media have lauded and voiced expectations over a set of regulations put forward by the country's newly elected leadership to improve their work style.

In a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Tuesday, participants adopted a document making explicit requirements on how Political Bureau members should improve their work style in eight aspects, focusing on rejecting extravagance and reducing bureaucratic visits, meetings and empty talk.

Comments went viral soon after the release of a statement that reveals the requirements..

On China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo service, netizens were upbeat about the prospect of imminent changes to China's culture of officialdom, which often features speeches of tedious jargon, expensive banquets and routine pomp.

Web user "liferecorder_lz" said these requirements are "pragmatic" and will overhaul the practices of China's officials if implemented well.

Given the profound changes that the Party, the country and the world are facing today, we should realize the utmost importance of improving work style, the People's Daily, the CPC's flagship newspaper said in a commentary on Wednesday.

"Improvements in the Party's work style will win people's hearts," it added.

The requirements, the first detailed guidance for a new working style adopted after the election of the Political Bureau members last month, were issued to strengthen ties between the people and officials, whose malpractice including corruption and power abuse have distanced them from ordinary citizens.

According to the requirements, fewer traffic controls should be arranged for leaders, and furthermore, Political Bureau members are not allowed to attend ribbon-cutting or cornerstone-laying ceremonies, or celebrations and seminars, unless they get approval from the CPC Central Committee.

Senior leaders are also required to trim the number of their accompanying members during official visits and reject pomp in receptions.

The regulations also ban worthless news reports on senior officials' work and activities and said such reports should depend on work needs, news value and social effects.

"Fewer meetings and traffic controls for the officials mean there will be smoother traffic in cities, and less media coverage on officials will leave room for more news dedicated to public welfare," according to a commentary in the Beijing News on Wednesday.

The implementation of any aspect of the regulations will be translated into benefits for the masses, the newspaper added.

While gauging the potential effect that the regulations will have in improving relations between officials and the public as well as addressing social problems such as corruption, many Internet users took a wait-and-see attitude.

A netizen identifying himself as Zhou Wenbin said he was very excited after he read about the news, but soon regained calm because he needed to see how the leadership would carry out their new orders.

"Several of the requirements are considerably pragmatic. It can make a difference to some officials' work style if they are implemented. I hope the officials can match actions to their words," wrote an Internet user named "Leizishierniu."

Another, named "Li Zhiyong," said it was necessary to enforce public supervision and hold violators of the regulations legally responsible, in a bid to ensure they are followed.

"The key is to implement the regulations in a top-down manner," wrote web user "pingshuixiangfengji."