Working hard at the office is not enough to warrant a promotion in one Chinese county, where a new rule says government employees must also be nice to their parents, state press reported on Monday.
Changyuan county in central Henan province is sending assessment teams to interview officials’ relatives, neighbours and colleagues to determine if they are caring towards their mother and father, the China Daily said.
Up to 500 people may be interviewed before the government decides if an employee shows adequate devotion to his or her parents.
”Officials should possess traditional values of filial piety and family responsibility, which are the foundations of a successful career,” the paper quoted the county’s Communist Party chief, Liu Sen, as saying.
The measure was introduced as a way to restore the traditional Chinese value of caring for parents, which has started to fade away in fast-changing China.
”As the country modernises and family ties come under strain, many are calling for the revival of traditional values such as filial piety and respect for the elderly,” the paper said. — Sapa-AFP