Xi urges young officials to stay clean, incorrupt

He warned officials against double-dealing and told them not to give any ground with regard to the Party's principles, saying that officials must always be in awe of power and ensure that power is exercised fairly, in accordance with the law, for the people and in a clean manner.

Last year, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, the Party's top discipline watchdog, said in its work report that the problem of young officials violating Party discipline and the law should be given heightened attention.

In January, Xi called for stronger measures in the education, management and oversight of young officials during a plenary session of the CCDI, saying that they must be guided to stay loyal and faithful to the Party, use their power in the right manner and strictly obey Party discipline and laws.

Xi also reemphasized the need for the Party to carry forward the spirit of daring to take responsibility and to struggle in the face of various challenges.

An important lesson from the nation's great struggles over the years is that China can only earn respect, take the initiative and defend its sovereignty, security and development interests by daring to struggle and excelling in this regard, he said.

Xi also expounded on the necessity for officials to correctly evaluate their performance, saying that all Party members must always keep in mind that delivering more benefits to the people is the greatest achievement in one's career.

He urged officials to always bear in mind the interests of the people, see themselves as part of the people and regard the people's issues as their own, saying that they must learn from the aspirations of the public from petitions, garner advice from internet users and respond to their concerns.

Wang Feng, an associate professor of Chinese politics and CPC history at Beijing Normal University, said the reason why Xi has put so much emphasis on the training and selection of young officials is that the future of the CPC and the nation rests on them.

He noted that a people-centered development philosophy has been a key requirement laid out by Xi at the sessions, as he pointed out the way for young officials to build up their capacities and assume more important roles.