North China city confiscates 214 official vehicles

The government of Tongliao in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region recently confiscated 214 cars that exceeded the standard for official vehicles, including 188 Audis and 26 imported SUVs, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"The confiscated cars will be dealt with after the autonomous region government gives clear instructions," said Gan Guanghui, deputy secretary of the commission for discipline inspection of Tongliao.

The confiscation is part of the city's efforts to meet new rules set by the CPC central committee to cut bureaucracy and maintain close ties with the people.

The city also cut its 2013 budget for public spending on government cars, overseas trips and official receptions by more than 20 million yuan ($3.3 million), a 16.7 percent drop from 2012.

Meanwhile, the government took back more than 194,000 square meters of office space for officials, according to Gan.

Compared with 2012, the city's public expenses for overseas trips were down 70 percent last year, Gan added.