THE Communist Party, faced with a loss of authority, will tighten control of its leading cadres to ensure major policies are implemented, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) said.
In another Xinhua report, a senior military leader called on the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to carry forward ''glorious'' army traditions and throw its weight behind the ruling party.
According to the agency, Politburo Standing Committee member Hu Jintao said political indoctrination among leading cadres must be stepped up in order to establish a leadership which was united ideologically, politically and in terms of organisation and action.
He told delegates to a national conference on the party's leadership structure to adhere to the policy of ''democratic centralism''.
An important aspect of this policy was that the whole party must obey the central leadership and guarantee full implementation of policies formulated by the leadership, Mr Hu said.
He called on cadres to overcome the tendencies of ''regional protectionism, departmentalism and separatism''.
Mr Hu also said corruption had become so serious that something must be done immediately.