Xi Jinping urges party to 'toe mass line' to win over public
President calls on party to toe a 'mass line' against 'illnesses' such as bureaucracy and extravagance, in an effort to improve its public image
The Communist Party will urge its members to toe a "mass line" in an attempt to clean up government and forge closer ties with the public.
A year-long campaign, beginning in the second half of this year, would aim to crack down on excessive bureaucracy, formalism and extravagance, Xinhua reported yesterday.
Echoing his earlier call to purge unqualified party members, party chief Xi Jinping told a Politburo meeting yesterday that everybody should "look into a mirror, neaten their dress, take a bath and have the illnesses treated".
The illnesses refer to formalism, bureaucracy and lavishness - which remain severe and prevalent among some party cadres, according to Xinhua, citing a post-meeting statement.
Some cadres were found to "be hankering for fame and gain, faking achievements and behaving irresponsibly", and some were even "abusing power and becoming morally degenerate", the Politburo statement said.
Some cadres were found to "be hankering for fame and gain, faking achievements and behaving irresponsibly", and some were even "abusing power and becoming morally degenerate"
"Such problems have severely damaged the party's image among the public and hurt the relationship between the party and the people, and have to be addressed in an earnest manner," it said.