CPC's fight against bureaucracy making progress

BEIJING - Most netizens and local officials believe progress is being made in implementing rules introduced by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to fight bureaucracy and formalism, a survey showed Tuesday.

About 72 percent of netizens and 88 percent of grassroots officials surveyed said the biggest improvement in Party members' work style was made in reducing the number of extravagant receptions held to mark officials' visits, according to a poll conducted by the People's Daily between May 29 and June 6.

Nearly 2,400 netizens and 500 officials from various provinces participated in the survey, according to the daily.

About 59 percent of netizens and 85 percent of local officials surveyed said official meetings have been shortened, while 3 to 5 percent of them said the situation was getting worse.

At a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on December 4, an eight-point rule on fighting bureaucracy and formalism and rejecting extravagance among Party members was unveiled.

There should be "no welcome banners, no red carpets, no floral arrangements or grand receptions for officials' visits." Spending on officials' trips and inspections should be kept to a minimum. Senior leaders are urged to conduct in-depth inspections at the grassroots level and solve people's practical problems, according to the rules.

While the improvements have won praise, survey respondents also called for building sound systems with more specific standards and supervision to improve CPC members' work style.