Local news-papers will carry fewer and shorter reports about city leaders from next week as a result of new regulations introduced to improve conference arrangements and simplify official documents.

From Tuesday, Guangzhou authorities will not allow any government meetings to be held in tourist resorts, nor will they permit meeting organizers to give out souvenirs or organize sightseeing trips.

In addition, the number of city-level Party and government meetings will be reduced, while the length of each will be cut to no more than two days, with the exception of the annual municipal Party congress.

Under the new regulations, city leaders are urged to avoid taking part in commercial activities, being part of group photos, or sending congratulatory letters or messages to commercial firms.

They also say media reports featuring the city's most senior officials should be limited to 1,000 words for newspapers and three minutes for TV broadcasts, and even less for junior ranks.

Also under the new rules, official documents will be simplified and printed less frequently.

While hailing the attempts to improve working practices, a professor with Sun Yat-sen University, who asked not to be named, said he wondered whether the plan would be fully implemented.

"If the rules are applied literally, the authorities' working efficiency will be improved and the local news will be much better," he said.

"However, similar regulations have been introduced before but I don't think anything changed."

(China Daily September 6, 2007)