New Chinese leaders reject extravagance

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BEIJING, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- China's new leaders led by Xi Jinping, stressing the need to win people's trust and support, pledged to avoid extravagance and save on bureaucratic trips.

The new Communist Party Central Committee Politburo, put in place at last month's 18th Party Congress, said there should be "no welcome banner, no red carpet, no floral arrangement or grand receptions for officials' visits," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A statement issued after the meeting said: "There should be fewer traffic controls arranged for the leaders' security ... to avoid unnecessary inconvenience to the public, and inspection tours as a mere formality should be strictly prohibited."

Foreign trips should be undertaken only when "needed in terms of foreign affairs with fewer accompanying members."

The statement said senior leaders should listen more to the public and solve their problems. They asked that official meetings be made short and to the point "with no empty and rigmarole talks."

The new leadership promised to take strong action against official corruption, which was repeatedly stressed during the party congress as the problem has become severe despite a crackdown.

The party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, in an earlier statement, said corrupt officials must be penalized, adding "anyone violating party disciplines and state laws will be seriously dealt with in line with laws, with zero tolerance."