Fund emojis point out corruption, seriously

A package of emojis highlighting the eight-point austerity rules of the Communist Party of China has become a hit on the internet.

It was launched by China’s top disciplinary watchdog to promote the spirit of austerity in an innovative way.

The package has 16 emojis, each promoting a specific idea — for example, opposing formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance; opposing special privileges; forbidding improper use of official vehicles; and reducing the number of meetings.

The emojis went viral after they were published on the website and WeChat account of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Dec 3.

The package of emojis has been downloaded more than 130,000 times on WeChat, and has been shared more than 500,000 times via the app, the CCDI said.

The package was launched to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the eight-point rules, which were issued by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in December 2012, aiming to reduce bureaucracy, extravagance and undesirable work practices of Party members.

The CCDI said the launch was to consolidate and strengthen the implementation of the rules, and promote the spread of the spirit of austerity among people in an easily understood way.

A watchdog official told the Beijing News on Dec 4 that the commission wants to find innovative ways to convey serious subjects by making good use of modern communication.

“There’s still room for the emojis to be improved in both quantity and quality,” the official told the newspaper. “They are far from covering all aspects of the eight-point rules due to their limited number.”

China Discipline Inspection Daily said last week that the emojis were popular because China’s anti-corruption achievements over the past five years have won the deep support of the people.

In that span, about 263,000 Party members found in violation of the eight-point rules have been punished, the CCDI said.