China plans to sack all officials found to have secretly "kept and supported" mistresses, in a move aimed at raising social morals, Chinese media reported on Friday.
The step hardens up previous policy.
"It is a misunderstanding that officials who have mistresses would only be sacked when the situation is serious," the Beijing News quoted a Ministry of Personnel spokesman as saying.
Chinese media have said the financial pressures of keeping mistresses have driven some officials to seek money through bribes or abuse of power.
The ministry said it had studied the issue and found it "necessary to make a clarification and emphasis" on the punishment for officials who supported mistresses.
"The morality of government officials shown in their management or power operation… directly affects the moral level of the whole society," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
"Therefore, officials should set up good examples, and abide by social morality rules."
Last year, a Chinese vice admiral was jailed for life on embezzlement charges after one of his many mistresses blew the whistle on him when he refused to give in to her demand for money.
VIA: chinadaily.com
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