China punishes 7,846 officials for frugality violations in August

BEIJING -- A total of 7,846 officials were punished in August for violating the Party's eight-point frugality code, according to the top anti-graft body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Tuesday.

They were involved in 5,565 cases across the country, according to a statement issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the national supervisory commission.

Of the cases, 1,456 were related to unauthorized issuing of subsidies or welfare, 1,070 to giving or accepting gifts or money, 838 to unauthorized use of official cars, 729 to using public funds for banquets and 517 for holding lavish weddings or funerals.

Other cases were related to violations, including traveling with public funds and building offices without authorization.

The CPC released the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct in 2012, to reduce undesirable work practices.

The top anti-graft body has a monthly reporting system with provincial-level governments, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, central Party and government agencies, centrally administered state-owned enterprises and central financial institutions.

A total of 51,817 officials involved in 36,420 such cases had been punished since the start of this year.