By An Baijie

A new code of conduct has been issued by the Communist Party of China that aims to strengthen anti-corruption efforts among officials.

The code, which lists 52 different kinds of prohibited behaviors or activities, requires that Party officials at different levels place strict demands on their behaviors, and those of their spouses, children and relatives.

The code emphasizes officials must steer clear of corruption, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday.

The code stipulated that officials are prohibited from meddling with real estate development, spending lavishly on weddings or funerals for family members, and using limousines for personal business.

The new code gives more details of prohibited conduct than a similar one issued in 1997.

The Party Central Committee issued a pilot code in 1997, which stipulated 30 prohibitions including "strict awareness of commercial trade invading the Party's political life and activities affecting the organizations of the nation."

The code issued in 1997 said "the working style of the ruling Party is key to its survival" in its first paragraph, while the newly issued version stressed problems that raise concern among the public, including the prohibition of constructing luxurious office buildings, officials' relatives using political power to seek advantages, and checks on whether the officials have made accurate claims about their education background.

The conduct of some officials has been in the spotlight in recent years.

Zhang Zhi'an, the former Party chief of Yingquan district in Fuyang, Anhui Province received the nickname "Whitehouse Party Secretary" for constructing an office building similar to the White House in the United States, and was sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve, on February 8 for taking bribes of more than 3.95 million yuan ($580,000).

He Guoqiang, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee, said in a conference Tuesday that Party committees at all levels must observe the new code and work against corruption.

The new code has been discussed on the Internet. Most comments posted on the news portal website sohu.com agreed it was appropriate to issue the code, but said that the regulations must be adhered to.

Jin Yong, an independent commentator on political issues, told the Global Times Wednesday that the code reflected the ruling Party's concerns about the temptations faced by officials.

He added that there was still a long way to go before the Party could fully eradicate corruption.

"The supervision of the code is far more important than the implementation of it," Jin said.