Guangdong cracks down on hundreds of 'naked officials'
Hundreds of cadres demoted, relocated or forced into early retirement
More than 800 officials across Guangdong whose spouses and children have emigrated overseas have been penalised with demotions or "position adjustments", according to the provincial authorities.
A statement published yesterday on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog, said that Guangdong had completed its disciplinary inspection of a group of such officials, known as luoguan or "naked officials".
A total of 866 officials, including nine-bureau level cadres and 134 at the department level, had been forced to retire early, were demoted or transferred to nominal posts, the statement said.
The CCDI, which sent a team of inspectors to Guangdong late last year, said in February that the number of naked officials in the province was a serious problem.
Guangdong soon launched a series of investigations and position adjustments across the province by asking officials to report their properties, the employment status of spouses and children, and records of their movements in and out of the country.
According to the latest official selection and appointment regulation issued in January, these officials will not be considered for promotion.