Commentary: Strict discipline provides cohesion for CPC governance

"China actively advanced strict governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and resolutely cracked down on high-ranking and low-level corruption," President Xi Jinping said in his New Year greetings, setting the tone for perfecting CPC governance in the new era.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, strict discipline and regulation has been a characteristic of Party management.

The Chinese central leadership's frugality campaign, which features the "eight-point rules," has effectively curbed extravagance and improved officials' work style.

Four years on the campaign shows no signs of fading, instead it has gained crushing momentum as the central authorities strive to maintain close ties with the people and eliminate both "tigers" (corrupt senior officials) and "flies" (corrupt lower-level officials).

As Xi once said: "All people are equal before the law and regulations, and enforcement of such rules allows no privilege or exception."

Nearly 200,000 Party and government staff have been punished for violating the rules in the past four years, including more than 200 officials holding senior positions.

Following the eight-point rules, the CPC central authorities issued more than a dozen regulations or rules aiming to standardize CPC members' behavior and reduce corruption.

For example, on Nov. 2, 2016, the CPC introduced its "upgraded norms of political life within the Party under the current conditions," and a regulation on intra-Party supervision, both aiming to perfect strict governance of the Party.

The latest rules released Nov. 30 on officials' benefits, stipulate that Party and state leaders should vacate their offices in a timely manner upon retiring.

The new rules, regarded as "an expansion and upgrade" to the Party's eight-point guidelines, state that officials should "travel without pomp," minimize their impact on public life and not have vehicles exceeding the set standards.

These documents altogether urge CPC members to further consolidate their communist faith, adhere to the basic Party line, and make solid efforts to win public trust.

In fact, strict CPC governance has been winning hearts across the country. The people are excited by a common cause, rolling up their sleeves to work harder and succeed in the Long March of our generation.

Meanwhile, the anti-corruption drive should maintain high pressure. More sophisticated discipline inspection measures should be used to fight new types of deep-rooted corruption.

All CPC officials should earnestly study the essence of the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and stay highly consistent in their thoughts, politics and actions, with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core.

The 19th CPC National Congress will convene in the second half of this year and elect a new Central Committee.

It is expected the CPC will by then gather more cohesive power, make further improvement on how to govern itself, deepen key reforms and bring prosperity to the vast majority of the Chinese people. Endi