BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese officials should simplify their lifestyles and avoid people who try to take advantage of their influence by offering money, lavish banquets or sex, according to a commentary of the Communist Party's mouthpiece, the People's Daily.

    "History tells us that an official's moral erosion usually starts with small things like drinking, dining and vulgar entertainment, in which sex is often involved," said the newspaper, in the Chinese government's latest effort to show it is tackling corruption.

    "Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not a trivial matter. It affects the Party's authority and its reputation among the people," the paper said.

    China's widely publicized anti-graft fight has led to the downfall of a number of high-profile corrupt officials in recent months. Many were found to be enjoying cozy ties with business tycoons who kept them sweet with general extravagance and prostitutes.

    Last year's snowballing Shanghai pension funds scandal began with the arrest of business tycoon Zhang Rongkun, whose company was found to have received illicit loans from a company under Shanghai's labor and social security bureau.

    The investigation brought down Shanghai's former party chief Chen Liangyu, also a member of the elite Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and later the state's top statistician Qiu Xiaohua.

    Qiu was expelled from the Communist Party for "taking bribes from enterprise owners, leading a dissolute life and bigamy", according to a terse official notice released last week.

    "Officials should purify their friends circle and be more discreet when socializing with friends," the commentary said. It also urged higher-ranking officials to establish friendships with the common people, model workers, grassroots officials and scholars instead.

    "Officials should be on high alert to people with ulterior motives and should never seek luxury from businessmen," it said.

    The commentary echoed an oft-repeated slogan by Mao Zedong in 1968, which called on Party members to be honest, upright citizens who were able, and were willing, to serve the people.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao made a similar call earlier this month at a high-profile anti-graft meeting in Beijing, urging officials to avoid money worship and hedonism.

    "It is wrong to consider an official's lifestyle a triviality compared with his work ability or governing skills. A Communist Party member, especially an official, should always maintain a healthy lifestyle and say no to extravagance," the commentary said.