China disciplines 5,459 violators of thrift rules in January

BEIJING -- A total of 5,459 officials were disciplined for violating thrift and integrity rules in January, the Communist Party of China's (CPC) top anti-graft body said on Monday.

The officials punished last month were implicated in 3,945 cases, about 26.5 percent of which involved unauthorized allowances and subsidies, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a report on its website.

Other violations included illicit gift giving and receiving, unapproved use of public vehicles, as well as using public funds for banquets.

China has been working hard in recent years to rein in corruption and instill stricter working discipline in civil servants, in response to public complains of officials driving work vehicles for personal errands and enjoying luxurious receptions and accommodations.

The CCDI established a monthly reporting system in August 2013 to monitor the implementation of "eight-point rules" nationwide, which was introduced on Dec. 4, 2012 by the CPC to reduce bureaucracy, extravagance, and undesirable work habits.

According to the CCDI, 49,508 officials were reprimanded for violating these rules in 2015.