Chinese police to minimize traffic controls for officials' trips

China's Ministry of Public Security has ordered the country's police "not to arrange road closures in general" and to "minimize time for traffic controls" arranged for officials' trips.

Coming in response to central authority's latest call to fight formalism and bureaucracy, including excessive security measures that disrupt traffic, the ministry said in a circular made public on Friday that the moves aim to "avoid inconveniencing the public wherever possible" and guarantee their normal traffic rights.

Local police officers are encouraged to step up inspection and research so as to better solve problems of major public concern, according to a statement from the ministry's traffic management bureau.

Efforts should also be made to better educate police to curb formalism and bureaucracy at various levels, the statement urged.

The ministry also asked its traffic management staff to address inconvenient, opaque and nonstandardized practices in law enforcement to ensure justice and equality.

The ministry made the arrangement in response to new requirements announced after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee earlier this week.

The new CPC leadership demanded, "There should be fewer traffic controls arranged for leaders' travel security in order to avoid unnecessary inconvenience to the public."