More than 2,600 hotels across the country have been designated as the venues for Party and central government officials to stay during their official business trips and conferences.

A meeting co-sponsored by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Finance on Friday demanded that Party officials and officials and staffers of central government departments must stay in the designated hotels during their business trips, and prohibited them from transferring the accommodation fees to local governments.

The meeting also forbids Party officials and central government staffers from demanding for services not included in the agreements reached with the hotels.

China introduced new methods to improve management on official business trip and conference fees involving central government officials and staffers from January 1 this year.

The new methods require officials and staffers from the central government departments to stay in designated hotels and capped the accommodation fees. The move is widely acclaimed as a new step to fight corruption and help build a clean government.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)