China will strengthen efforts to improve work ethics through enhanced education and a system of rewards and penalties, aiming to elevate public morality and advance social civility.

Ten central departments — including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security — jointly issued a guideline focusing on raising work ethics in the new era.

The guideline emphasizes that modern work ethics should be rooted in traditional Chinese virtues while incorporating contemporary professional standards. Positive examples of ethical conduct will be recognized and rewarded, while violations will be condemned.

The public is encouraged to uphold basic values such as hard work, honesty, kindness and justice in their jobs. Government departments at all levels are urged to launch campaigns promoting diligence, dedication, innovation and frugality, according to the document.

The guideline calls for all levels of government, industry bodies and enterprises to incorporate work ethics into employee management systems, using it as an important metric in performance evaluations, promotions and rewards.

Schools, including primary, secondary and vocational institutions, are urged to strengthen ethics education by integrating related content into regular curricula and extracurricular activities. The aim is to help young people form healthy views on work and employment.

Employers are encouraged to include ethics training in staff induction programs to foster good professional conduct. Individuals and groups demonstrating high standards of work ethics will be publicly recognized and promoted as role models to inspire others.

More public activities focused on promoting work ethics will be held during major holidays, such as International Workers' Day and International Nurses Day, to increase public awareness and appreciation of various professions.

The guideline also calls for accelerating the development of a credit system for work ethics to strengthen oversight of those who breach professional conduct. Serious violations may face harsher penalties and be publicly disclosed as warnings.

In addition to improving regulations, the document highlights the importance of promoting cultural products that celebrate the spirit of hard work, dedication and innovation.

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