BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Local officials will only be promoted to more senior positions if they can minimize social unrest in the countryside, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official has said.

    "Officials who perform poorly in maintaining social security in rural areas will not be qualified for promotion," Ouyang Song, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee said Thursday at a tele-conference screened for senior officials in Beijing.

    At the same conference, Liu Jinguo, vice minister of Public Security, told the police authorities to launch a month-long inspection and examination of the extent of social disorder in rural areas.

    "Fugitive criminals and underworld gangs, as well as those who steal rural production materials, produce or sell fake and substandard commodities, kidnap children and women and smuggle drugs, explosives and guns will be targeted," Liu said.

    He also urged the police to investigate and report on the disputes which may give rise to "mass incidents" or crimes in rural areas.

    From January to September 2006, about 385,000 rural people participated in "mass incidents".