China will step up efforts to improve the quality of accountants, a senior financial official said on Sunday.

To regulate the accounting sector and enhance the competitiveness of its accountants, the country will strengthen training through organized study of new accounting rules, said Vice Minister of Finance Wang Jun.

Legal and cultural building in the accounting sector will also be promoted in order to cultivate the professional morals of accountants, Wang said at a meeting of the China Association of Chief Financial Officers.

China now has about 12 million accountants. In 2005, the Ministry of Finance strengthened its examination of the accounting sector and 48 institutes of accountants were investigated and dealt with on account of violating regulations.

Source: Xinhua