Chinese authorities will focus on environmental protection, science and technology innovation and improvement of people's livelihood when evaluating the performance of officials, a circular published on July 27 said.

According to the document, which was jointly issued by the country's auditing, state-owned asset, and human resources and social security authorities and the Communist Party of China's disciplinary inspection and organization departments, economic responsibility audits of Chinese officials will put the quality and sustainability of economic and social development under the spotlight.

It will also focus on the social, economic and environmental benefits of officials' decision-making and administrative activities, it said.

The audit, first launched in 1999 in China, covers government and Party officials and legal representatives of state-owned enterprises. The results of the auditing will be used as references in performance evaluation, promotion, and the rewarding and punishment of officials.