The Communist Party of China (CPC) will reinforce its role as the leader of large state-owned companies, or state-owned enterprises (SOEs), especially those under the control of the central government, in order to better facilitate these companies' reform and development while cracking down on corruption, according to a recent document issued by the central government.

The nine-page document, jointly issued by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State-owned AssetsSupervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, says that the party committees in SOEs should help to reform the SOEs and to foster a stable environment in the process, "thus safeguarding these SOEs' leading role in the national economy."

The document says party committee members should hold major posts in large-scale companies, such as members of boards of directors or general managers, to ensure the party's involvement in the SOEs' major decisions.

It says a new mechanism should be set up in SOEs to choose talented people and managerial personnel that match with the modern corporate system, and that the SOEs should combine the party's policy on cadres with the management's rights to employingpeople according to law.

The SOEs should set up effective supervision systems, includingeducation, punishment and anti-corruption measures to fight against corruption, according to the document.

Party committees of SOEs should double their efforts to find out applicable measures to encourage employees' involvement in company management and protect their legal rights, it says.

All the SOEs, including those companies with state shares, should set up the party committees and ensure their normal activities, the document says.