The regulations cover party secretaries, governors, mayors, officials of legislatures, the Judiciary and senior cadres at or above county level. Top and middle-ranking executives of state-run enterprises must also report both their own and their family's financial situations to the supervising authorities.

They must detail if their spouses or children own any business in China or overseas, or if they are employed by foreign, Hong Kong or Taiwan companies operating on the mainland.

Marriages to foreigners are also open to scrutiny.

While overseas business activities, including those of spouses and children, must be revealed, the regulations apparently do not extend to cadres working in mainland-controlled subsidiaries abroad. The decree stated that the information collected would be kept 'confidential in principle' but might be made public if necessary or at the request of the parties concerned.

Cadres who failed to comply within a month would be 'disciplined, educated, criticised and made an example within the party', the regulation said.

Officials will also be required to report any property transactions involving themselves, their spouses and children.

And they must tell the authorities if they are organising fund-raising activities for housing projects, either by themselves or through family members.

Cadres will even have to reveal details of family events, such as weddings and funerals - apparently in an effort to prevent bribes in the form of wedding gifts or condolence money.

The authorities will also need to be advised when a spouse or child is being investigated for criminal offences.

The regulations come on top of many anti-graft decrees issued in recent years.

In 1995, the Communist Party and State Council jointly issued a regulation requiring senior cadres to declare their incomes.