CHINA: Chinese civil servants will have to pass "morality quizzes" as well as more traditional tests of their performance at work if they want to get ahead in the state apparatus, under new measures aimed at reining in corruption among public servants.
Graft by officials has become more and more prevalent as Chinese society opens up. Last year, nearly 115,000 members of the Communist Party were punished for corruption and other offences, and there is rising dissatisfaction at corrupt local officials taking bribes and creaming off cash from provincial coffers.
Combating graft is a key factor in efforts to keep a grip on single-party rule and morality will now become a "key criterion" when making decisions on promotions, pay rises and rewards, even punishment, a senior personnel official said.
The tests of moral fibre are in the spirit of President Hu Jintao's "socialist concept of honour and disgrace", which lays down principles of patriotism, plain living and honesty for Communist Party members.
"Civil servants, who are at the forefront of civil affairs, should take the lead in improving their moral standards, which is in line with China's 'socialist concept of honour and disgrace'," vice minister of personnel Yin Weimin told the Xinhua news agency.
Civil service has enjoyed high status in China since the Confucian system in ancient times and, while many other things have changed dramatically under communist rule, the bureaucrat's position has continued since the revolution in 1949.
However, they will have to get their fingers dirty - from now on, civil servants will also be encouraged to work temporarily in grassroots departments, including neighbourhood committees and village councils. The government also wants bureaucrats to work in underdeveloped regions and areas to improve their competence, Mr Yin said.
In similar vein, a senior Communist Party leader called for media supervision in a national campaign to prevent corruption and improve the party's work.
During a visit to the state-run CCTV broadcaster, Wu Guanzheng, a member of the party's powerful standing committee, said media supervision should be "improved" to reflect the party's stance and should stick to the "right orientation" to guide public opinion and to improve information on good governance among party officials.