2nd LD: Party members called on to unite around CPC Central Committee with Xi as "core"

A key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called on all its members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core."

The call was included in a communique released Thursday after the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which was held from Monday to Thursday.

Party members were told to resolutely safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its central, unified leadership while pushing forward the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.

The communique also urged them to become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, keep in mind the bigger picture, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy.

"Together we must build a clean and righteous political environment, and ensure that the Party unites and leads the people to continuously open up new prospects for socialism with Chinese characteristics," it said.

The meeting hailed the current-governance mode of the Party, lauding the work undertaken by the CPC Central Committee with Xi as the core and the achievements since the 18th CPC National Congress, as these efforts had improved the intra-Party political environment.

The CPC Central Committee insists on developing the Party through ideological work and institutions, improving Party conduct, tackling corruption with an iron fist, and purifying the political environment within the Party, thus, not only winning the support of its members but also the people, the communique said.

An overhaul of intra-Party political life was a pressing task for the CPC, if it was to weather the storm of challenges -- the ruling status, reform and opening up, market economy and other external factors -- it had to address the dangers rocking the boat, including the slacking of officials, incompetence, isolation from the people and corruption, it noted.

Improvements in intra-Party political life must be underpinned by strict observance of the Party's Constitution, the meeting stressed.

It said the CPC needed to be empowered to successfully purify, perfect, reform and upgrade itself, resist corruption and withstand risks, thus, safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and the Party's unity, advancement and purity.

Leading organs and officials at all levels -- especially high-level officials such as members of the CPC Central Committee, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau -- have a key role to play in improving the political life within the Party, the communique said.

Senior officials, especially the central leadership, were urged to take the lead in all respects, and set the bar high, so that Party members and the public follow suit.

According to the communique, the consolidation of ideals and beliefs is the "all-important mission" for intra-Party political life, and all Party members must regard their faith in Marxism and belief in socialism and communism as their "lifetime pursuit."

They were also told to strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"We must take the Party's basic line of economic development, the Four Cardinal Principles, the reform and opening up policy and incorporate them into socialism with Chinese characteristics -- without even the slightest deviation, at any time," it said.

It stressed that the basis of upholding the Four Cardinal Principles is upholding CPC leadership as well as the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Four Cardinal Principles refer to following the path of socialism, upholding the people's democratic dictatorship, leadership by the CPC, and Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

"When reviewing and recognizing officials, especially high-level officials, we must first see whether they resolutely follow the Party line," the communique said. Endi