Party officials have issued a new directive requiring all levels of government and state bodies to prepare for an overhaul of the cadre system to stamp out corruption and other malpractices.
Issued by the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee, the document entitled 'Summary on Deepening Reforms of the Cadre and Personnel System' applies to all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities under the State Council, government ministries and the military.
The four-part document outlines the general directions and policies of the 10-year programme to reshape the mainland's cadre system.
It starts by spelling out the overall policies and guidelines. The second part covers units such as Communist Party organs and government departments. The third section deals with state-owned enterprises and the last part extends to administrative units such as research and education institutes.
Sources said the reforms had five basic goals. First, the programme will introduce competition to the system and the tradition of life-long employment will be abolished.
The second aim is to establish a mechanism which will give central leadership unified control over personnel matters but at the same allow local and department leaders to manage their own staff.