Communist Party members will be deprived of their membership if they are found to keep mistresses and bear illegitimate children in China's southernmost province, according to regulations designed to enforce the family planning policy.

The regulations, issued by the Hainan Provincial Communist Party of China (CPC) commission for Discipline Inspection, stipulate that Party members who have illegitimate children through bigamy, keeping mistresses, adultery or illegal cohabitation will be expelled from the Party.

Those who desert children or send children away to have more children will also be ousted.

130 boys are born for every 100 girls in Hainan, much higher than the average of between 103 and 107 boys to 100 girls. The gender imbalance is blamed on sex-selective abortions and a traditional preference for boys.

Party members are prohibited from ultrasound gender identification or sex-selective abortions, abuse or abandonment of fertile women or women giving birth to girls.

The regulations also say civil servants who retaliate against those who report their violation acts will be dealt with according to Party discipline requirements.

Heads of state-owned institutions and organizations will be given a warning or be discharged from Party posts for failing to implement family planning rewards or preferential policies.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2005)