President Xi pledges resolute fight against corruption

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China's newly-elected president Xi Jinping pledged Sunday to resolutely fight against corruption and other misconduct in all manifestations and always preserve the political integrity of Communists.

"All members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), especially the leading cadres of the Party, must consolidate their ideal and conviction, always put the people above everything else, and exalt the Party's glorious tradition and fine conduct," Xi said at a closing meeting of the country's annual legislative session.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, was elected president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission on Thursday.

"We must resolutely reject formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance, and resolutely fight against corruption and other misconduct in all manifestations," Xi told almost 3,000 legislators.

"We must always preserve the political integrity of Communists and unswervingly strive for the cause of the Party and the people," he said.

Xi stressed that the CPC is the core force in the great cause of leading and uniting the people of all ethnic groups to build socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"We are shouldering the heavy task bestowed by the history and going through the test of the times. We must uphold the principle that the Party was founded for the public good and that it exercises state power for the people, supervise our own conduct and run the Party with strict discipline, enhance the Party's art of leadership and governance, and strengthen the ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration and ward off risks," he said.

While noting that achieving the grand goal requires unremitting efforts, Xi called on all political parties, social groups, ethnic groups, social strata and circles in the nation to be more closely united around the CPC Central Committee to fully implement the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress and follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development.

"We must always be modest and prudent, defy difficulties and work hard, bury ourselves in work and forge ahead with determination so as to achieve new, greater victory in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and advancing the socialist modernization as well as make greater contribution to the humankind," he said.