The discipline authority in south China's Guangdong Province has banned government officials from accepting gifts or traveling abroad without approval during the coming Mid-Autumn Day and week-long National Day vacations.

The Guangdong provincial commission for disciplinary inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued the notification on Tuesday.

The order aims to stamp out corruption through gifts to gain influence or favor, considered common during holidays or festivals.

The order also prevents government officials, especially high-ranking ones, using public money to treat their friends or relatives to dinner, or pay for travel for themselves and their subordinates.

Travel plans must be approved by superiors in advance.

The families of government officials are also required to refuse gifts.

Banned gifts include cash, checks, coupons and other valuable objects, including watches and cars.

Officials cannot take part in any gambling activities. Government officials are also encouraged to report any suspicious activities involving colleagues.

But some officials have cast doubt on the ban's feasibility.

"The notice says all government officials must supervise each other's behavior, but I do not think people will really report violators to their superiors," Yu Xueguang, an official working for the provincial government, told China Daily.

Few people can afford to offend their coworkers, especially their bosses.

Independent monitoring was needed, he said.

However, at the very least, the notice does serve to warn government officials about their behavior, he added.

(China Daily September 13, 2007)