Officials' integrity vital, says Party leader (2)

Several officials across the country have been placed under investigation following allegations they owned property worth far more than they could afford on their official salaries.

Another case involved 10 officials in Chong-qing who have been removed from their posts after a whistleblower revealed a sex scandal.

"China has entered a crucial period that means the government and local authorities have to narrow the gap between developed and underdeveloped regions," Wu Hui, a deputy professor of Party building at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said on Tuesday.

"This task demands officials at all levels have a good work ethic and maintain close ties with the general public.

"To achieve the goal of building a prosperous society, the government must make sure that residents in the remote, impoverished areas can enjoy a rapid increase in their income in the coming years, and the key lies in the work of local officials," Wu said. "That is why Xi emphasized work ethics and integrity in Gansu."

Bordering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Loess Plateau, Gansu is one of China's poorest provinces. The annual net per capita income of local farmers in 2012 stood at 4,507 yuan ($723).

"The fundamental problem behind incompetent officials is that there are loopholes in the selection and promotion mechanism," Wu said.

If there are those who think they can bribe their way up, then the public will lose confidence in the Party and the government, Wu added.

"Officials at the grassroots level must use wisdom to improve the standard of living of their communities and strengthen links with the people."

During his visit, Xi met with villagers and migrant workers and asked about their lives.

On Monday, Xi visited Xihu community in Lanzhou.

The community has created a mechanism that collects public opinion and suggestions, deals with problems people are most concerned with and releases the results to the public.

Xi praised them for establishing such a platform.

On Sunday afternoon, Xi went to a reconstruction site in Dongxiang autonomous county, where a landslide triggered subsidence in March 2011.

Chatting with migrant workers, he said a prosperous society could not be realized without the contribution of migrant workers.

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