More than 15,000 officials punished for violating party rules in 2014

A total of 15,494 officials accepted disciplinary punishment for violating "eight-point rules" set by the Party's central leadership this year, which double the number of 2013, People's Daily reported on Tuesday.

In December 2012, the CPC Central Committee issued the "eight-point rules", requiring government officials to strictly practice frugality and clean up undesirable work styles, including formalism and extravagance.

People's Daily reported that there have been 37,370 cases of "eight-point rules" violations from January to September nationwide, citing sources from Ministry of Supervision, China's top anti-graft agency. A total of 51,235 people were involved with the violations.

The ministry also exposed and named more than 3,000 officials involved in the more "common" violations over the past two years. "Common" violations include misuse of public vehicles and holding extravagant meetings and weddings.

"Naming those officials would put a lot of pressure on them," said Xie Chuntao, director of the Teaching and Research Department of Party History at the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, during an interview.

"It also helps to unnerve those potential rules-violating officials," added Xie. "From those typical cases, officials from all over the country can get to know the determination of the central government."

Huang Weiting, a researcher with "Seaking Truth", an official magazine of the Party's central decision-making body, said that naming the bad officials lowers their "stock" and deters people from approaching them for projects.

"For those who wanted to bribe officials for benefits, they would not be so interested in those officials who have been named by China's top anti-graft agency," said Huang. "It helps to 'save' more officials."