Officials to gain experience at grassroots levels

BEIJING - More than 300 young officials from central government departments, State-owned enterprises and the Beijing municipal government will work in the city's subsidiary offices, local personnel officials said.

A new plan will take selected young officials, who must be no older than 31, and transfer them to villages, townships and sub-district offices, where they will work as deputy heads. A senior official with the municipal Party committee's organization department told China Daily that the decision to try out such a program on so large a scale is "unprecedented".

"This will help to fulfill the Communist Party of China Central Committee's requirement to foster young leaders," the official, surnamed Yang, said on Wednesday.