The People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), ran an editorial on Monday lashing out at leaders engaged in various kinds of unethical and dishonest behavior.

"In some regions or public organizations, leaders are engaged in lying, empty talk, fabricating statistics, or trumping up political achievements," according to the editorial, which cited examples such as leaders "turning a blind eye to social problems while reporting nothing but good news to superiors; covering up mistakes made in work; fabricating statistics to overstate political achievements."

"These [actions] not only hold back regional development and threaten the interests of local people, but also hurt the credibility of the CPC and the government, as well as distort social ethics," the editorial continued.

The paper attributed "falsehoods" to some leaders' inappropriate intentions, such as putting their insatiable appetites for power ahead of serving the public. "As they care not about doing work, but about being promoted, they only court attention from their superiors rather than solve problems for the public."

The paper further attributed such phenomena to a "corrupt and misleading" political environment in some areas and organizations where those who speak the truth are isolated, and officials get promoted according to their number of political merits.

It also said that as local governments reshuffle their leadership, the general public should demand honest leaders who speak the truth and work in a down-to-earth manner, as well as a political environment that allows honesty and encourages men of action.