In April, Chinese embassies around the world simplified their welcome ceremonies for visiting Chinese leaders. In June, the CCPI issued a new policy stating that officials who use public money to make private trips abroad are subject to expulsion from the CPC.

"These moves have been effective in reducing the figures, but soft corruption is still far from extinct, and is taking new forms and disguises," Zhu Lijia, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times, citing domestic tour-ism as its latest manifestation.

The ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province has been hosting up to 100,000 officials a year who go there on free sightseeing trips, China Central Television reported in June. These officials from across China visit Pingyao in the name of public duty and are given free admission to tourist sites along with free lodging and meals.

"The only way to uproot the problem is to open up the government budget and make the costs transpar-ent," said Zhu. "The media and the public will be able to see if public money is being put to its correct use."

However, Gao Qiang, director of the Budget Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, noted in March that the three gongkuan xiaofei are not currently counted as separate items in the government's budget, making them difficult to define and control.

"Sub-classifying the accounting items should be the focus of future budgeting work," Gao said.