China will continue and heighten its ongoing anti-corruption campaign to ensure a clean and honest government in the year 2000.

A communique issued by the fourth plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which opened Wednesday and ended in Beijing January 14, has set strict rules demanding that leaders at all levels perform their official duties honestly, and forbidding their pursuit of illegal profits either for themselves or their family members.

The state will continue to crack down on violations of the law committed by leading officials of the Party, government departments, law-enforcing departments, procuratorates, and economic management departments, and priority will be given to major cases.

The communique said that unhealthy tendencies in government departments and all economic activities should be corrected. Efforts should be made to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicine, further lighten the burdens on farmers, supervise the use of state bonds and social security funds, and end the charging of all illegal highway fees and school tuition.

Strengthening anti-corruption efforts is an important measure for pushing forward the reform and development of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the communique noted.

Participants at the session said that General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Jiang Zemin in his speech at the session today profoundly analyzed the anti-corruption struggle, and set new specific tasks.

They asked all Party members to accomplish the tasks set forth by Jiang Zemin on opposing corruption, building the Party, further upgrading leadership ability, and continuing the anti-corruption struggle to meet with confidence the challenges of the new century.

Participants also reviewed the country's efforts to clean up government and fight corruption during the past year, and agreed that great achievements have been made in creating a clean and honest government in accordance with the Party guidelines.

They pointed out, however, that the fight against corruption is far from over, and called for more stringent enforcement of all laws and regulations. (Xinhua)