Working as civil servants is to serve the people, not make a fortune, says an article in the People’s Daily. Excerpts:

Chinese government will enroll more than 22,000 civil servants next year. The enrollment exam is one of the most competitive tests in the world. Nearly 100 applicants compete for each seat on average.

The anti-graft campaign initiated by President Xi Jinping a year before, and the government’s steps to cut red tape and improve transparency in governance have cooled down this year’s civil servant enrollment test. The acceptance rate is nearly 30 percent higher than before.

The exam takers should bear in mind that working in the government is a stable job with the core task of serving the people. The government will be ruled by law and the room for civil servants to seek illegal profits from their jobs becomes much smaller.

This will be a new norm of working for civil servants in China. All exam takers should be prepared for it. First, if a person wants to make a fortune, he or she should not work as a civil servant. Second, civil servants are to serve the people. The requirements for their knowledge, professionalism and skills are higher than before. Third, civil servants face more restrictions and higher requirements on their behaviors and talks.