"Public funds should never be allowed to buy cigarettes, high-end wines and gifts. The use of government vehicles and construction of government office buildings should also be strictly managed. Luxurious buildings or decorations will be prohibited. The number of ceremonies, forums and conferences should be controlled," Wen said.

So far, 98 central government departments and some of the provincial and city governments have publicized expenditure on overseas trips, receptions and vehicles, according to Wen.

He said the government should improve transparency and create favorable circumstances for the public to supervise the government and officials.

Li Chengyan, head of Peking University's clean government research center, said the conference is "timely" since corruption has become one of the prominent challenges to the Communist Party of China.

Li noted that the wording used by Wen at the conference is forceful and shows a stronger determination to address the issue.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate said in its annual work report this month that prosecutors across the country investigated about 18,500 major cases of corruption and embezzlement in 2011, with seven minister-level officials having been investigated.