Threat of lawsuit moves officials to act

Chinese prosecutors are playing an increasingly active role in urging poorly performing government departments and agencies to implement laws by filing lawsuits against them, according to the country's top procuratorate.

"As our supervision increases, most administrations, agencies and organizations can protect the public interest by regulating behavior and correcting misconduct," Zhang Xueqiao, deputy chief of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said on Friday.

In 2015, a successful pilot program allowed prosecutors in 13 provincial regions to sue government entities that abuse their power or fail in their duty. The practice was extended across the country when an amendment to the Administrative Procedures Law was passed in June.