Xi urges strict Party discipline

Spirit of the 19th National Congress must be fully implemented, he says

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged continuous efforts to govern the Party with strict discipline and full implementation of the spirit of the Party's 19th National Congress.

Xi, also president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark on Thursday at the second plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top discipline watchdog.

Highlighting the importance of governing the Party with strict discipline, Xi required the whole Party to maintain the authority and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, intensify the fight against corruption and strive for a better "political ecology" in the Party.

It is a must to uphold and enhance the Party's comprehensive leadership in the process of governing the Party with strict discipline, Xi said, adding that it is fundamental to maintain the authority and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee.

The Party should focus on capacity-building for its long-term governance and the building of its progressiveness and purity to ensure that the CPC becomes a Marxist political party that always walks in front of the times, supported by the people, brave for self-revolution and standing the test of all challenges, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the CPC has made outstanding achievements in strictly governing the Party since the 18th National Congress held five years ago, and such experiences must be continued in the future.

He urged that the whole Party uphold firm belief, carry out system-building, address the problems that dissatisfy the people and strictly supervise senior officials.

Noting that the CPC is facing a complicated governing environment, Xi warned of complex factors that may undermine the Party's progressiveness and harm its purity.

All of the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee must be carried out without any change by the Party's organizations, Xi said, adding that all of the Party's organizations must stay loyal and honest with the CPC Central Committee.

Xi stressed that the Party's eight-point frugality rules must be strictly followed, and undesirable work styles including hedonism, extravagance, formalism and bureaucracy must be firmly opposed.

Officials must say no to thoughts and activities of privilege, stay loyal to the people, get down to the grassroots, and make efforts to resolve problems that strongly dissatisfy the people, Xi said.

Xi reiterated a firm stance of zero tolerance and complete coverage in the fight against corruption, saying that both tigers and flies－h(huán)igher and lower levels of corrupt officials－must be brought to justice.

Xi praised the efforts of the country's anti-graft agencies and workers at different levels, saying that they have fulfilled their duties in a loyal manner, remained brave and selfless to fight graft, and produced excellent achievements in boosting clean governance.

During the session, Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also head of the CCDI, delivered a report on strictly governing the Party, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Last year, 58 senior provincial－and ministerial-level officials were punished for violating the Party's disciplinary rules, the CCDI said on Thursday.

A total of 159,100 people were punished for graft or discipline violations last year, it said.