Guangdong tightens crackdown on 'naked officials'

South China's Guangdong province has uncovered more "naked officials," or officials whose families have emigrated overseas, in a tightened crackdown campaign, local authorities said Tuesday.

According to the Organization Department of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), it has identified 2,190 officials whose spouses or children had emigrated in a thorough investigation launched in February.

The number includes 22 who were formerly in senior positions. A total of 1,867 occupied lower-level positions, accounting for 85.3 percent of the total, it said.

The selection and appointment regulations issued in January by the CPC said naked officials will not be considered for promotion.

Guangdong has taken the lead in the country in toughening up on naked officials. Its crackdown campaign started after a central disciplinary inspection team warned the province in February that there were too many naked officials and action was needed.

The provincial organization department said naked officials face two choices: bringing their families back to China or "position adjustment."

In early June, an official of the department told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that Guangdong had found more than 1,000 naked officials, of whom 866 agreed to accept demotion.

He said on Tuesday that nearly all of them have already been demoted. "But [the naked official crackdown] is not our ultimate purpose. What we want is a transparent and just political environment."