China issued a new anti-corruption regulation Sunday to require officials to report changes in their marital status, the whereabouts of their spouses and children if they have moved abroad, personal incomes, housing as well as their family's investments. The new regulation was issued by the General Office of China's State Council and the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The regulation defines "officials" as those leaders holding official ranks of and above county level in government agencies, democratic parties, public institutions, state owned enterprises and state holding enterprises.

Join Zach Ebling and Roseann Lake at Auto China 2010, as they bring you the whole exciting event, including everything from luxury sports brands and green technology, to the best modern road vehicles and industry opinion.

Join Zach Ebling and Roseann Lake at Auto China 2010, as they bring you the whole exciting event, including everything from luxury sports brands and green technology, to the best modern road vehicles and industry opinion.

Join Zach Ebling and Roseann Lake at Auto China 2010, as they bring you the whole exciting event, including everything from luxury sports brands and green technology, to the best modern road vehicles and industry opinion.

Join Zach Ebling and Roseann Lake at Auto China 2010, as they bring you the whole exciting event, including everything from luxury sports brands and green technology, to the best modern road vehicles and industry opinion.

China's Communist Party has released new restrictions for so-called "naked officials". These are civil servants – government workers – who have basically transferred all their assets or those with family members who have moved abroad, according to a report Monday. The state-run China Daily reported that the new restrictions were issued as part of a broader effort to crack down on corruption. The new rules dictate that officials with children and spouses who have moved outside the country must disclose the whereabouts of family members, the report said.

This is the local government office in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region where a local man burned himself to death last week. According to his family, Ruan Guangrui, a farmer from the rural area of Dongsun near Baise City, committed suicide outside the gates of the district government to protest at grass-roots corruption.

His widow, Deng, said the 49-year-old was angry that officials refused to listen to their complaints about graft.

"It's all because of his report on the corruption case. He said he wanted to use his death to draw the attention of the authorities. He wasn't able to sleep for a month, turning the case over and over in his mind. The report was submitted to the local police department, but it was dismissed."

Stories of corruption at local and provincial levels of government are everywhere in China.

But they usually take the form of subtle bribery and business deals.

Andrew Livingstone reports on what looks to be a very visible example of local officials bending the rules to their advantage.