Over 8,100 officials punished for violating China's frugality rules

BEIJING -- A total of 8,185 Chinese officials were punished in July for violating the country's eight-point code on improving Party and government conduct, China's top anti-graft body said in a statement on Sunday.

The officials were involved in 5,434 cases, and 5,626 of them were handed down disciplinary or administrative penalties, said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission in a monthly report.

A total of 4,007 were sanctioned for engaging in bureaucratism or formalities for formalities' sake. Dereliction of duty in social and economic development and environmental protection was a prominent problem in this regard, according to the report.

A total of 4,178 officials were punished for hedonism and extravagant conduct, including giving or accepting gifts and awarding unauthorized allowances or bonuses.

In late 2012, the CPC released its eight-point rules on frugality to combat undesirable work practices.