Vice Minister of Education Yuan Guiren pledged on Saturday that great efforts would be made to prevent any kind of fraudulent practices in connection with the national university entrance examinations, being held from June 7 to 9.

Yuan said that this year, the largest number of examinees have registered to take the exams since they were resumed in 1977, following a 10-year hiatus during the "cultural revolution." All related organizations were admonished to strengthen discipline and resolutely crack down on any form of exam corruption.

He pledged severe punishment for three types of cheating: having a substitute sit for the exams, sending exam-related tips by telecommunication device and group fraud.

“Nowadays, methods available to cheat on the exams are modern and advanced. If the examination contents are divulged in one place, they will soon spread everywhere. Therefore, the exam documents must be carefully guarded,” said Yuan.

Some 7.2 million high school students registered to attend the university entrance examinations this year, up 17.9 percent from the last year.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2004)