The CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee recently issued new regulations under which the last week of each month will be a "meeting-free week." The newly-released opinions on further improving the work styles of cadres have 16 aspects of detailed regulations on how to further strengthen the work style of cadres.

The opinions call for holding audio and video conferences and short meetings, and strictly limiting the number of meeting participants. The duration of meetings should generally be not more than half a day; less cadres should deliver speeches at meetings, with generally one cadre making a speech; the content of speeches should be concise and clear, and their duration should generally be not more than one hour; documents that have already been printed and distributed should not be read at meetings.

A senior official from the Taiyuan Commission for Discipline Inspection said that the release of the opinions aims to "release cadres" from numerous meetings, enabling them to focus on conducting investigations and surveys at the grassroots level or on handling major issues.

(People's Daily? September 15, 2009)