CCDI vows long-term fight against undesirable conduct

BEIJING -- China's top anti-graft agency warned of a relapse of undesirable conduct among Party and government officials and vowed long-term action.

Nearly 3,600 officials were punished for breaches of Party rules in February, a year-on-year increase of 18.6 percent, according to an article published on the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) website Tuesday.

"February's figure indicates that the problem of undesirable conduct is deeply rooted and will not be stopped by one attempt," the article said.

Some officials have continued their luxurious lifestyles "but in less detectable ways," it said.

Another priority for this campaign is bureaucracy and nonfeasance, it said, citing leading officials who dodge making important but risky decisions, and lower-ranking officials who are idle at work.

The Communist Party of China adopted the eight-point rules on Party and government conduct in December 2012 to improve working practices. Last year, more than 71,000 officials were punished for violations.