Cadres facing tighter controls

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.

''We should not lose our confidence [about solving the problem], nor take the matter lightly,'' he said.

''We have to see the battle as a long-term struggle while bearing in mind the urgency of the matter.'' In another report, the Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), General Liu Huaqing, said military cadres, particularly leading officials, should take the lead to implement fully the policies decreed by the central party, the State Counciland the CMC.

He urged senior military cadres not to go their own way and twist policies approved by the authorities.

''[They] should solve and eradicate the problem of corruption resolutely,'' the military leader said.

General Liu was speaking during an inspection tour in the northeastern city of Changchun.

He emphasised that it was vital for leading cadres at all levels and officers to carry forward the traditions of the Red Army to serve the national goal of economic construction.

''[They] should conquer the infiltration of decadent bourgeois liberal thoughts such as individualism, money worshipping and factionalism,'' he said.

''The most crucial thing is for the leading cadres to set an example by taking the lead. The Army has taken the lead in warfare in the past. Our leading cadres should do the same now in the battle against corruption.'' The CMC leader also called on cadres to change their work styles, saying a tendency to spend too much time on formalities had brought about a waste of financial resources, additional work for officers and harm to the PLA as a whole.

General Liu said senior officials should go to the masses to learn about their problems.