Eliminate special privileges, Xi tells officials

Use power impartially and cautiously, president says in call for self-discipline

President Xi Jinping told leading officials on Monday to practice strict self-discipline and eliminate special privileges, in the latest move to govern the Party strictly.

Xi made the remarks when addressing the opening session of a workshop on the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The workshop at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee was attended by senior provincial and ministerial officials.

In his speech, Xi urged leading cadres to "build a fence" against special privileges to prevent themselves and those around them from abusing power. Leading officials should use their power "impartially, cautiously and legally".

Xi required officials in senior roles to strengthen their self-discipline and be discreet when alone and on small matters. They should also guard against interest groups that besiege them, he said.

The CPC Central Committee held the workshop to help senior provincial and ministerial officials understand the two documents passed by last year's plenum. Of the two documents, one is on the norms of political life within the Party in the new era, and the other is a regulation on intra-Party supervision.

"Leading officials should strengthen their political capability, firm their political ideals, uphold political direction, be steadfast in their stance and strictly observe political rules," Xi said, stressing they should enrich their political experience and match their political capability with the positions they hold.

Gao Bo, a political researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is highly important to strictly manage the "key minorities" - senior officials.

"If they fail to perform their duties or even take the lead to breach Party disciplines and the law, the consequence would be very serious," he said.

"Not only will they be corrupt, but a group of subordinate officials might follow suit. The entire political environment in the department, the region or the system might be harmed."

The central leadership has launched a massive campaign to fight corruption and strictly administer the Party since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012.

So far, 240 officials directly managed by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the great majority of whom are at or above ministerial level, have been placed under official probe for possible discipline or law violations, which is 3.6 times that of the number from late 2007 to late 2012, according to data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog.

In Monday's speech, Xi also called on all Party members 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.

An editorial published on Tuesday by People's Daily, the official newspaper of the CPC, also warned of a weakening or ignoring of political values in modern society.

"The politics (we're talking about) is not the old tune, or the ultra-leftism practiced during the 'cultural revolution' (1966-76), but it has strong relevance to reality," the editorial said.

It said that since China's reform and opening-up, some Party members have gradually considered politics less important, and they have become politically confused. Some have committed political mistakes consciously or unconsciously.

Therefore, the editorial called for Party members to resolutely prevent and overcome such tendencies, and be clear and firm in their political stance.

The CPC has more than 88 million members and 4.4 million organizations nationwide.

(China Daily 02/15/2017 page3)