Premier Wen Jiabao urged civil servants to help build a clean and thrifty government at a meeting with representatives working in service sectors in Beijing on Tuesday.

Rectitude should be the first concern of a civil servant in establishing a clean government, and people should be thrifty when dealing with any government expenses, Wen said. He also called for devotion among civil servants.

Wen said people working in the government service sector should promote reform of government administration to go along with other reforms in the country.

The government service sector should also legalize its administration and daily work, and develop a group of professionals to ensure the smooth running of the sector, he said.

State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Hua Jianmin also addressed the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2004)