China's local gov'ts urged to implement power list system

China's central authority has issued a guideline urging local governments at all levels to introduce a power list system to define the boundary of their powers.

Issued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the General Office of the State Council, the guideline says local governments should publicize their administrative powers and processes in lists in order to accept public supervision.

A power list system is a major reform and important to achieve modernization of state governance and capabilities, the guideline says.

The power list system is also viewed by the Chinese government as part of their effort to streamline administration and delegate power to lower levels. Since assuming office in March 2013, the current Chinese central government has canceled and delegated hundreds of administrative examinations and approvals in a bid to stimulate the market's vitality.

The guideline says an efficient government administrative power system with clear definition, rational division, power and responsibility consistency in accordance with laws should be built, and in the meantime, a supervision, check and coordination system for government powers will also be established.

Local government departments with administrative authority is the focus of the implementation of the power list system, the guideline says.

The guideline urges local governments at all levels to comb through all administrative powers in a comprehensive and thorough way, list a legal basis for all those powers and make catalogs.

In addition, local governments are urged to cancel administrative powers with no legal basis or conflicting legal basis. All powers to be retained will be reviewed in their legitimacy, rationality and necessity, the guideline says.

Power lists should be publicized on governments' official websites and other channels. Endi