Xi Jinping warns corruption threatens party's rule

Communist Party chief Xi Jinping has warned that the ruling party will lose its hold on power or risk major social unrest unless widespread corruption is curbed.

Xi, who succeeded Hu Jintao as party general secretary and head of the military last week, and will replace Hu as president in March, pledged at the new Politburo's first "learning session" on Saturday that there would be no mercy shown in the battle against graft.

The party is confronting slower economic growth and a public clamouring for an end to corruption, threatening its hold on power.

"A great deal of facts tells us that if corruption is allowed to run wild, the ultimate outcome will be the end of the party and the end of the state," state media quoted Xi as saying at one of his first major meetings as party leader. "We must be alert."

Xi, the 59-year-old son of a revolutionary hero, acknowledged there were many things to accomplish during what should be the first of two five-year terms in office. He promised to deal with the most urgent problems first, including the policing of party cadres.

In recent months, a series of political scandals involving senior leaders has rocked the party and overshadowed this month's party congress, which saw a once-a-decade transition of power. The most notable scandal involved the dramatic fall of former Politburo member Bo Xilai , once a contender for the party's supreme Politburo Standing Committee, who now faces trial for corruption and abuse of power.