Festive season can breed corruption

For government officials, festivals are more important than ever because they are occasions to attest to their political loyalty and prove their work ethic. However, if they fail to behave according to the rules of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, they risk their career.

To prevent potential corruption during the coming New Year's Day and Spring Festival, China has tightened its regulation on government staff by restating the "eight-point rules" - first issued in December 2012 to ban them from misusing public funds in eight areas - and adding more channels for citizens to report breaches.

The coming festival holidays, Jan 1-3 and Feb 18-24, are times when government officials and ordinary people engage in holiday social activities. The celebrations easily breed corruption in the form of taking bribes as holiday gifts, hosting lavish banquets to celebrate New Year and even gambling as a "traditional" entertainment during the holiday.