BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued a code of ethics for CPC cadres to follow Tuesday to ensure clean practice in their work and prevent corruption.
The guidelines specify 52 unacceptable practices with respect to CPC leaders and cadres of various levels, including accepting cash or financial instruments as gifts, and using their influence to benefit their spouses, children or "special concerned persons" with regards to their employment, stock trading or business.
He Guoqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Party leaders should strictly abide by the code.
He, also head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, stressed Party leaders' practices such as using their power for illicit gains, accepting money or gifts under different names, using or turning public funds or properties into their own, should end.
Party leaders were not allowed to engage in for-profit activities, such as establishing enterprises, registering companies outside the Chinese mainland, owning stocks or bonds of non-listed companies, or taking part-time jobs in enterprises or social organizations, He said.
Party leaders should use their energies to serve the society and the people, and were strictly prohibited from meddling in economic activities against relevant regulations with respect to construction projects, land transfer, government purchases, real estate development and operation, mineral resources exploration and utilization, intermediary services and enterprise restructuring, according to the official.
Party officials were not allowed to use their influence to seek benefits for their relatives and should be fair and just in the selection and promotion of other Party leaders, he said.
CPC officials were prohibited from involvement in for-profit activities and using public funds for personal interests, according to the guidelines.
Officials should not seek personal profits or engage in insider trading, according to the code.
They are banned from spending inappropriately large amounts of government funds on the purchase of vehicles, office receptions, construction of office buildings, high-cost recreational activities, as well as overseas tours, it reads.
They are also banned from abusing their power to promote persons in a way that is against relevant regulations, according to the code.
"As an important intra-Party regulation, the code is significant for ensuring clean governance among CPC officials ... and advancing the fight against corruption and building a clean government," the CPC Central Committee stated in a circular.
The CPC Central Committee urged officials to earnestly follow the guidelines and warned those who violated the regulations would be "severely" disciplined.
According to the code, cadres who violated the rules would be disciplined and could also be charged with violating criminal laws.
The CPC introduced an ethics code for CPC cadres on a trial basis in March 1997.
"As the Party's fight against corruption was being intensified in the new era," the committee revised the 1997 version and released Tuesday's code, the central committee said in the circular.
The central committee urged CPC committees at various levels to enhance supervision and said education on eradicating corruption and upholding integrity should be incorporated into CPC officials' training agenda.
