Two members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who rejected official promotions have been ordered to comply, said authorities in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The official response was issued after news of two female CPC members in Suijiang who were punished for passing on their recent promotions, went viral on Chinese social media.
Zhong Shangmin and Wan Xinqin, are subject to organization adjustments and have yet to take on the new positions, according to publicity officials, reported thepaper.cn on Saturday.
Considering the strong work performances of Zhong and Wan while serving their posts, the Party wanted to promote them to higher leadership roles last August, but they rejected the offers, according to a report from the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Zhong explained she passed on the offer was because it would give her less time to care for her family, with Wan citing health reasons, the CCDI report said.
"In fact, I was very happy when I knew I was going to be promoted, but later I felt that being a cadre also meant more responsibilities and more work, so I was concerned. In addition, I did not want to leave my current post for my own selfish reasons, so I refused the appointment on the grounds of taking care of my family," said Zhong regretfully.
Suijiang county disciplinary officials issued an inner-Party warning to Zhong and made Wan's case public as punishment, and also recommended the local government relieve her from her current post at the finance bureau, the report also said.
Party officials notified the county finance bureau that they would be held accountable for failing to fulfill daily responsibilities and maintaining proper control of cadre members.
The news sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media. Many said their boss would dislike an employee if he or she turned down a promotion.
"A job is not for those who only prefer easy work," said one netizen.
A CPC member and local official in Hebei Province told the Global Times that cadres should always be prepared to take on bigger responsibilities when asked by the Party.
"There is no excuse to escape responsibility. The Party organization offers a certain degree of understanding to Party members but not based on violating the regulation of the CPC on disciplinary measures," he said.
After both cases emerged, the county Party committee launched a campaign inspecting similar concerns among members. Suijiang discipline authorities have investigated and held accountable 19 officials for failing to perform their duties and for negligent and irresponsible behavior, the CCDI newspaper reported.
CPC discipline regulations state that those who reject Party allocation or transfers risk being removed from their posts.
In special occasions or emergencies, those who refuse official orders will be placed on probation or expelled from the Party.
