Beijing Youth Daily:

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee has issued a newly-revised regulation on improving the framework of systems for rigorously managing and overseeing leading officials. It points out that the key is to address the demotion issue. Under what circumstances will officials be demoted? In addition, what are the specific measures to promote and demote leading officials?  

Xu Qifang:

Thank you for your questions. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee released the newly-revised regulation on improving the framework of systems for rigorously managing and overseeing leading officials on Sept. 8 this year. This is a major move to practice rigorous self-discipline and governance of the Party and officials in every respect. It is of great significance to further improve the institutional arrangements of selecting and appointing talent, encouraging officials to forge ahead on the new journey to make achievements in the new era.

The regulation clarified seven channels of filtering out the more mediocre officials, including being held accountable for misdeeds, receiving Party and government disciplinary punishment, being subject to the handling of the organization, resigning, being subject to the term of office, retirement, and subject to organizational adjustment for being unfit to serve in their current position. Regarding the adjustment of those unfit to serve in their current position, the regulation listed a total of 15 circumstances, including political integrity, beliefs and convictions, the spirit of struggle, the view of career achievements, the execution of organizational discipline, the willingness to fulfill responsibilities and undertake initiatives, ability and quality, the commitment to their work, and morality and conduct.

The provisions further optimize the investigation and adjustment procedures for officials who are not suited to serving in their current positions, and improve the work involving such adjustments. Key measures include the following six aspects.

The first is to take the annual assessment as an important basis for promoting and demoting leading officials, and to gain an in-depth understanding of their political performance, capabilities, work performance, conduct, and public reputation.

The second is to adhere to assessing officials on the front lines of major tasks and fights, and to distinguish between superiors and inferiors in actual competency tests.

The third is to strengthen comprehensive analysis, make good use of various findings — including officials' performance evaluations, disciplinary inspections, audits, statistics, reports on relevant personal matters, public assessments, and public complaints — and dynamically grasp the actual performance of officials.

The fourth is to strictly fulfill duties. We include the implementation of the provisions in the work of Party committees (leading Party members groups) to fulfill their main responsibility of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, deliver an annual report on officials' selection and appointment and receive public assessment, carry out disciplinary inspections, and launch special inspections on the selection and appointment of officials. It is also included in the annual work reports of secretaries of Party committees (leading Party members groups).

The fifth is to establish a documentary reporting system. We require that the relevant situation of the previous year be reported to the authorities at a higher level on an annual basis, and advance the common practice concerning promotions and demotions among leading officials.

The sixth is to raise public awareness and create a social environment and atmosphere of public oversight for the promotion and demotion of officials. Thank you.