Companies out to hire 'connected' Party officials

SHANGHAI - Twenty-five private enterprises in Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province have gone on a rare, joint recruitment drive for corporate-level Party secretaries "with connections".

The companies based in the private capital powerhouse of the country, Wenzhou, are trying to lure candidates with offers of fat salaries, ranging from 100,000 yuan ($14,600) to 200,000 yuan per year.

The ideal candidate should be able to participate in corporate management as well as ensure smooth relations between the employers and the employees, the companies said in a joint announcement on Tuesday.