BEIJING - Premier Wen Jiabao is calling for a strengthening of the fight against corruption, since the situation remains "grave" and the task is "extremely arduous".

In the full text of a speech released on Tuesday, Wen told an anti-corruption meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, on March 25 that, despite the government's anti-corruption work last year, some fields are still "prone to corruption" because of a lack of regulation or inefficient law enforcement and supervision.

Wen listed priorities in China's anti-graft efforts for 2011, when the government will continue striving to prevent officials from abusing power, falling derelict in their duty or committing other misdeeds.

Officials, along with their families and aides, are not allowed to interfere with or manipulate bidding processes, he said. Nor will leaders of State-owned enterprises be allowed to seek illicit gains through operating businesses or through trade, Wen noted.

As for requirements, officials will have to disclose information about their assets and the employment statuses of their family members. Officials will also be subject to punishment if they are found guilty of accepting bribes, whether the money come in the form of cash, securities, or payment cards, he said.

China has made progress in responding to the complaints of the public and reducing administrative costs during the past year. But the country still faces an extremely complicated development situation, according to Wen.

He pointed out that some long-term and short-term problems are intertwined with the country's economic and social development, adding that some social contradictions have become relatively prominent.

In addition to corruption, these problems could threaten the country's development and stability if not properly dealt with, Wen said.

In the speech, Wen promised to better safeguard the legitimate interests of the people and cut extravagant spending by officials.

Unlawful, forced land expropriations and house demolitions are strictly banned, he said, adding that the administrative system should be reformed to dilute the power of some government departments.

Wen also called for government departments to be made more efficient and for the supervision of principal officials to be strengthened.

To lower administrative expenses, the government will reduce its expenditures on overseas business trips and reform the government's car system, Wen said.

The government will also curtail extravagant spending on official business trips and receptions and cut the number of meetings it schedules and of documents it uses, Wen said, encouraging government administrations to make their spending more transparent by publishing budgets.

About 146,000 officials across China were punished for disciplinary violations in 2010. Among them, 5,373 had been referred for prosecution, according to Wen.

On a good note, administrative expenditures on overseas trips, vehicle purchases, receptions and similar things were reduced by 5.8 percent last year, according to figures from the State Council.

Xinhua