China's central government wants local officials to ensure local court rulings are enforced and warns those who block their implementation will be punished, according to a circular issued on Sunday.

"The implementation of court rulings has become an important element in assessing the performance of local governments," said the circular, which was jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security.

Government departments that fail to enforce court rulings, or government staff who evade, disturb or refuse to assist in the enforcement, will face negative evaluation or administrative investigation, it said.

The central government has evaluated the handling of court rulings by all provincial governments since the beginning of 2006.

"The new requirements will address a longstanding enforcement problem in the country, safeguard the authority of law and maintain social stability," said a SPC spokesman, adding that the goal is to end local protectionism.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)