China’s State Council has initiated the streamlining of bureaucracy by ordering local governments to downsize liaison offices in provincial capital cities.
According to a document issued by the general office of the State Council on March 16, Monday, liaison offices of government-affiliated organizations in provincial capital cities must close down, while those in county-level governments will no longer be retained.
Based on the document, local governments are also ordered to control the number of liaison offices as well as the size of offices, especially in capital cities in the provinces.
The government said that although many of these offices have performed their roles in promoting investment and reception duties, some of them may no longer be needed since the transportation system has already improved and a reorganization of administrative function is needed to streamline services.
The State Council document also noted that some liaison offices have cost government large expenses on money and resources, which could otherwise have been spent on other worthy projects.
"In particular, some liaison offices have caused extravagance and waste on a large scale," according to the document.
The council also ordered local governments to complete its downsizing before December this year.
China's local governments and lower-level agencies often set up liaison offices in major cities to assist them in lobbying for policies more advantageous to them, as well as get priority position for investment projects and funds, which sometimes lead to corruption and bureaucracy.
In 2010, hundreds of liaison offices in Beijing have been ordered closed by the central government in order to cut costs and get rid of corruption.