Retired government officials may expect tighter rules on new jobs

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The rules that regulate retired government officials are likely to be tightened amid the country's enhanced anti-graft campaign, analysts said.

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee reiterated on Tuesday that retired officials may not violate Party rules by being employed as independent board members in companies.

All retired officials, including those who hold jobs at universities or NGOs, are prohibited from getting part-time jobs at companies, an official from the department told Xinhua News Agency.

In October, the department issued a regulation that government officials who have retiredfor less than three years are not allowed to get jobs in companies whose business is related to the officials' former administrative duties.

Even after more than three years of retirement, if former officials want to get jobs at suchcompanies, they must get the approval of the government department where they used to work, the regulation states.

According to the department, as of Tuesday, more than 40,700 incumbent and retired officials, including 229 senior provincial-level leaders, have been required to quit their part-time jobs at companies.

The department did not elaborate on how many of these were retired officials. A report by stockmarket portal iFinD said that as of April 21, there were 41 retired officials employed by China's top 100 listed companies.

For example, Liu Hongru, 82, former vice-president of China's central bank, was employed with an annual compensation of 243,000 yuan ($39,000) as an independent board member of China National Petroleum Corp, the country's leading gas and oil producer and supplier.

Wang Yukai, a professor of public administration at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said that the companies always pay the retired officials high salaries, and in return, the former leaders are likely to seek profits for the companies with their influence.

Unlike in the past, when retired officials were exempt from punishment, a number of former leaders have been investigated for suspected corruption in recent months.

On July 17, Yang Baohua, former vice-chairman of Hunan province's political advisory body, was expelled from the Party on allegations of accepting bribes and committing adultery. The 67-year-old retired official was probed by the top anti-graft watchdog on May 26.

Questions:

1. Retired government officials are not allowed to get a new job for how many years after they retire?

Answer: 3

2. Who is the former vice-president of China’s Central Bank?

Answer: Liu Hongru

3. Why was Yang Baohua expelled from the Party?

Answer: For accepting bribes and committing adultery.

（中国日报网英语点津 Julie 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.