China punishes nearly 7,000 officials for violating frugality rules in September

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 6,983 Chinese officials were punished in September for violating frugality rules.

The officials were involved in 5,016 cases, said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission in a statement.

Giving or accepting gifts was the most common misdemeanor, followed by awarding unauthorized allowances or bonuses and the misuse of public funds for banquets.

A total of 57,473 officials involved in 40,768 cases were punished in the first nine months of 2019, the statement said.

The CPC released its eight-point rules on frugality in late 2012 to reduce undesirable work practices.