China vows to crack down on local authorities taking ‘excessive’ approach
- Politburo doesn’t directly mention Covid-19 controls but it comes as discipline watchdogs go after cadres for taking measures too far
- Ruling party’s top decision-making body also called for a continued tough stance on corruption during meeting in Beijing on Tuesday
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Beijing begins to ease Covid rules, but business areas remain deserted
The Politburo also called for a “focus on correcting formalism and bureaucracy” and for “close attention” on problems including excessive implementation of policies, “arbitrary use of power, failure to take responsibility and inaction”.
China is starting to roll back those measures, though some local authorities have been reluctant to do so – apparently out of concern about a potential spike in cases.
Ahead of the Politburo meeting, some provincial anti-corruption bodies issued directives aimed at reining in Covid-19 controls imposed by local authorities, according to reports on the website of the national agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
One report said the discipline inspection commission in the southern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region had issued guidelines calling for its anti-graft officials to curb excessive pandemic controls there.