China's red tape goes under the knife

The discipline watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has begun the second stage of its campaign to cut red tape in its system.

The second wave will run until June next year, and target regulations or normative documents from the founding of the New China in 1949 to 1978, according to a statement by the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Sunday.

The move will give the commission a clear picture of the existing regulatory situation and clarify the fight against corruption using legal weapons.

The first stage of the CPC's campaign, which began in June last year, focused on rules introduced from 1978 to 2012.

The Party had abolished nearly 40 percent of its intra-Party rules introduced since 1978 as of Aug. 28, and the CCDI abolished 37 and nullified 28 of 476 rules introduced by it since 1978. The central authority and local Party committees also overhauled their rulebooks.