China has unleashed new measures to clean up rural elections and deepen democratic procedures at a grassroots level.

A circular, jointly issued by the General Office of the State Council and the General Office of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, aims to curb the bribery of village voters and officials, with 12 provinces -making up more than a third of the nation's administrative regions - set to go to the polls this year.

The document, released on Saturday, comes as "external uncertainties" surrounding the economy are on the rise and at a time when China can ill-afford instability in its vast countryside, said Civil Affairs Minister Li Xueju on the ministry website yesterday.