The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday announced a requirement for all leading Party cadres to provide details of their personal affairs, including their investments, changes in their marital status and whether their children marry foreigners.

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A circular providing details of reporting requirements was issued after a meeting on Tuesday of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee which was presided over by President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

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The circular says the goal of the reporting requirement is to strengthen the Party's internal supervision and ensure clean and honest governance.

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According to the circular, enhancing the Party's internal supervision and preventing corruption are necessary requirements for improving the Party's capacity to govern and maintain the Party's leading role.

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The requirement, which was officially promulgated in January 1997 by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, is an important Party regulation that reflects the CPC's resolve to supervise its leading cadres.

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Leading cadres are to report to the Party within a month when the following changes occur in their personal affairs: if they or their spouses, or their children who live with them, build, buy, sell or rent property; if they participate in organizing a marriage ceremony or funeral rite for themselves or close relatives; if they or their children marry foreigners; if their spouses or children emigrate; if they travel abroad on personal business; if their spouses or children are investigated by judicial organs or are suspected of committing crimes; and if their spouses and children run individual, private businesses or contract and rent state-owned enterprises and collective enterprises, or act as high-ranking managers in joint ventures and mainland branches of overseas companies.

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The circular also pointed out that reporting regulations needed to be revised and procedures improved in line with the country's reform and modernization drive.

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During the meeting, all Party cadres vowed to adhere to the notion of "exerting power for the people, sharing the feelings of the people and working for the people's interests", and consciously implement the regulations.

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Implementation of the regulations will be an important consideration in a cadre's overall tenure assessment.

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The regulations apply to cadres in Party's organs, people's congresses, governments, political advisory organs and judicial organs at county level or above, as well as cadres whose ranks are equivalent to county head in state-owned enterprises and companies.

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Earlier this month, the CPC issued another important rule, namely regulations on the system of withdrawal of officials and their relatives. The rule provides that spouses, children and relatives of those appointed to leadership posts in a government or Party unit cannot be subordinate officials, accountants, auditors or human resources cadres in that unit during the official's tenure.

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In addition, officials must not work in a government office that controls or supervises any industry or enterprise in which their family members hold shares.

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(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2006)