China punishes nearly 18,000 officials for frugality violations

BEIJING -- A total of 17,989 officials were punished in November for violating frugality rules, China's top anti-graft body said on Thursday.

The officials were involved in 12,472 cases, according to a statement issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

The punished officials include 51 at the prefecture or equivalent level, and 943 at the county or equivalent level, according to the statement.

It said 9,630 were punished for the practices of bureaucratism or formalities for formalities' sake. Among them, 7,588 were punished for failing to perform their duties, promote social and economic development, or protect the environment.

A total of 8,359 were punished for hedonism and extravagant conduct, including giving or accepting gifts.

The CPC released its eight-point rules on frugality in late 2012 to combat undesirable work practices.