News Analysis: China's new leaders to usher in tighter CPC

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The new generation of China's top leaders will inject more vitality into the 91-year-old Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as implement stricter discipline and better organization, as was revealed at the conclusion of the 18th CPC National Congress.

The senior leaders of the Party, led by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made their collective debut on Thursday morning after the first plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, at which they were elected members of the Standing Committee of the 18th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.

Addressing a press conference, Xi said the Party now faces many severe challenges.

"And there are also many pressing problems within the Party that need to be resolved, particularly corruption, being divorced from the people, going through formalities and bureaucratism caused by some Party officials," Xi said.

Xi called on Party members to uphold a principle that calls for the Party to supervise its own conduct and run itself with strict discipline.

"The whole Party must stay on full alert," Xi said.

Xi's comments echoed a speech delivered by comrade Hu Jintao at the opening session of the 18th CPC National Congress.

Hu said the Party is being confronted with increasingly grave risks, including a lack of drive, incompetence, a disconnect with the public, corruption and misconduct.

"Combating corruption and promoting political integrity, which is a major political issue of great concern to the people, is a clear-cut and long-term political commitment of the Party," Hu said.

"If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the Party, and even cause the collapse of the Party and the fall of the state" he warned.

The weeklong congress was held under the backdrop of diversified social ideologies and a constantly changing pattern of interests that has emerged in China in recent years, analysts said.