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A martial arts enthusiast pulls a vehicle with a rope connected to his eye sockets during a performance in Hefei, Anhui province November 30, 2009. Picture taken November 30, 2009. REUTERS/China Daily

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    Want a promotion? Treat Mom well

    BEIJING
    Mon Apr 9, 2007 10:06am EDT

    BEIJING (Reuters) - A county in central China plans in-depth checks on how its officials' treat their parents, with those who are nice to their mom and dad first in line for promotion, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

    Oddly Enough

    Up to 500 family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors will be grilled by special investigators about the behavior of each official from Changyuan county, including their family values and any drinking or gambling habits, the report said.

    The findings will be considered when deciding promotions.

    "Officials should possess traditional Chinese values of filial piety and family responsibility, which are the foundation of a successful career," Xinhua quoted local Communist Party chief Liu Sen saying.

    China's leaders are fretting about how to support its aging population, and worried about slipping moral standards as younger generations rush to take advantage of the booming national economy.

    By 2050, the number of those over 60 in China is expected to top 400 million.
    Oddly Enough


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