CHINA: Official Stresses Opposition To Discrimination In Test

BEIJING (ChinaView - Xinhua), November 29, 2007: A Chinese personnel official on Thursday reiterated opposition to discrimination, especially against Hepatitis B carriers, in the upcoming civil servant test. The Chinese government issued a week ago rules to ensure fair, transparent enrollment of civil servants. The rules ban employers of civil servants from setting "requirements that are unrelated to the nature of posts". Vice Minister of Personnel Yang Shiqiu reassured an applicant of the national civil servant examination in December that "Hepatitis B carriers who are ruled out after medical examination to be Hepatitis B patients would be considered eligible candidates." Chinese job hunters, including those seeking government posts, have long complained of discrimination on the grounds of sex, age, religion, race or physical disability. This year, more than 800,000 applicants will sit for the civil service examination in December, according to a statement on the ministry's website. Editor: Mu Xuequan Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency.