The Chinese central authorities have introduced a guiding document that rolls out a series of specific provisions and targeted measures to crack down on formalism and reduce the burden on grassroots-level departments.

The guiding document consists of seven parts and 21 specific provisions. It talks of effectively reducing the number of official documents, streamlining meetings, reducing supervision, inspection and assessment activities from higher-level departments, clarifying the rights and responsibilities of grassroots departments, and reducing the number of demonstration activities assigned by higher authorities. It stipulates against borrowing cadres from the county-level or below, while controlling the borrowing of cadres from municipal and above units.

The document extends a series of new practical measures for the old existing problems related to formalism while strengthening current institutional provisions to reduce the burden on grassroots departments and people at the root.

The central authorities have always attached great importance to the rectification of formalism to reduce the burden on grassroots governments, and regarded it as an important way to follow the Party's style of working and an important measure to care for grassroots government workers.

In recent years, a special working mechanism for rectifying formalism and reducing the burden on grassroots departments has been established at the central level, and a series of effective measures have been taken, achieving remarkable results. However, it should be noted that formalism and bureaucracy were not born in a day. Therefore, long tireless efforts will be needed to get rid of them.

After the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July, arrangements have been made for the continuous rectification of formalism to reduce the burden on grassroots governments. The plenum made it clear that a long-term mechanism will be established for this goal and the central authorities have renewed and further intensified a crackdown on formalism by issuing the latest guiding document, which will provide a strong guarantee for further deepening reform in an all-round way and promoting Chinese-style modernization by rectifying formalism to reduce the burden on grassroots government departments and their workers.

The root cause of the formalism problem is that some senior leaders have poor working styles and are disconnected from grassroots realities. Some grassroots cadres, too, have misplaced views about performance and lack a sense of responsibility, focusing on pleasing superiors rather than serving the people. That explains why the document urges higher-level governments and leading officials to set an example in rectifying formalism.

The formulation of the document will also mark an important move to promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.