China’s Communist Party to limit local government inspections

China’s ruling Communist Party said late on Tuesday it would impose limits on the number of central government inspection campaigns directed at local authorities, saying local officials were at risk of being “overwhelmed”.

In a notice posted by Xinhua, the General Office of the Communist Party’s Central Committee said grass-roots officials had become prone to bureaucratic thinking as a result of excessive supervision and inspection.

The constant need to comply with central government inspections and assessments also led local officials to choose form over substance when it came to implementing policies, and normal operations were being disrupted, it said.

The notice said central government organs would no longer be permitted to launch their own inspections without the authorisation of the State Council, China’s cabinet.

The central government should carry out comprehensive inspections once a year involving multiple ministries, to avoid duplication, it said. Inspection work should be coordinated by the general office and the cabinet in the form of an annual plan.