源头反腐 (yuántóu fanfu): Fight corruption at the source

At the fourth Clean Governance Work Conference on March 28, Premier Li Keqiang pointed out that the government should be further streamlined and more powers delegated to lower levels, in order to effectively fight corruption at the source.

The Clean Governance Work Conference is always regarded as a weather vane of the priorities of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Li said at the conference that 311 administrative examination and approval items were cancelled or delegated to lower levels of government last year; non-licensing approval was completely abolished; more than 70 percent of the State Council's intermediary administrative examination and approval services were cancelled or adjusted; and 44 percent of occupational qualifications and 80 percent of central government pricing items have been cancelled.

Li set the task of streamlining the administration and delegating power to the lower levels this year as a means of strengthening anti-corruption work through the "weight loss" of power.

Administrative examination and approval matters will be further cancelled, and governments should focus on simplifying administrative procedures and innovating their work to provide a better service to the public.