In one example, four officials with the Nansha district bureau of city administration and law enforcement in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, drove a government car to a suburban restaurant to have dinner during Spring Festival. The officials have been suspended from their positions, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Wu said his department will continue a "micro reform" to ensure the number plates of more government vehicles are released to boost public efforts to help deter private use of government cars.

This will also involve setting up a team comprising local residents and publicity officials to oversee government spending when his department holds official receptions.

Wu said he hopes such efforts can be made elsewhere.

Yang Tuan, an expert with the Social Policy Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "It's commendable that an individual official has released the plate number of a government car he uses."

But she suggested drawing up more concrete regulations, introducing more efficient up-down implementation, and bringing in more severe punishment for violators, to crack down on the private use of government vehicles.