Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Wu Guanzheng, Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party of China, have urged the improvement of economic audit work to boost the building of a clean government.

"Economic audit work is of great importance to building a clean government and promoting the government to act according to law," Wen said in a written instruction to a national meeting on economic responsibility audit work, which opened Monday.

Wu said in his written instruction to the same meeting that audit results will be used as important reference in evaluating and promoting cadres. Corrupt officials uncovered by audit departments will be punished.

China has decided to expand the scope of economic audit of government officials from the beginning of 2005. Heads of prefectures and prefecture-level agencies will be subject to economic auditing from Jan. 1 of 2005, as were officials of lower ranks.

From 2000 to June 2004, 3,253 officials in China were handed over to judicial or discipline organs to face trial and punishment after economic auditing, according to those at the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2004)