[JURIST] The Communist Party of China [official backgrounder] Thursday issued a list of "10 taboos" [Xinhua report] for public officials as part of the government's attempt to fight corruption ahead of a reshuffling of provincial leadership posts later this month. The rules focus on preventing bribes, favors, negative campaigning, and intimidation. The government will assign groups of inspectors throughout the country to monitor the reshuffling. It has also required media outlets to publish contact information for inspectors, including a 24-hour telephone hotline. BBC News has more.

China has taken a hard line on corruption in recent months, punishing several officials with lengthy prison terms and the death penalty [JURIST report]. Last month, a former prosecutor received a suspended death sentence [JURIST report] after being convicted of accepting bribes and embezzling money. In September, a former official of the Agricultural Bank of China was executed [JURIST report] for taking bribes and embezzling nearly $2 million. In July, the former commissioner of China's State Food and Drug Administration was executed for accepting $850,000 in bribes [JURIST report].