China plans vigorous anti-corruption fight

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BEIJING, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- China's Communist Party promises to fight official corruption, which has become a major problem in the country, more vigorously in 2013.

The anti-graft drive by the party will include heightened efforts to wean its members away from extravagance, bureaucratic behaviors and abuse of power.

The official Xinhua News agency said the 2013 anti-graft plan was outlined in a report presented at a Central Commission for Discipline Inspection meeting presided by Xi Jinping, China's new leader and general secretary of the Communist Party.

"The fight against corruption is still arduous under the new circumstances, and a small number of party members have a weak sense of responsibility," said a statement after the meeting, which also talked of "formalism, bureaucratism and extravagance" among some officials.

The statement urged the entire Party to strengthen "a sense of hardship, risk and responsibility," exert more efforts to handle corruption and prevent corruptive behaviors from spreading, Xinhua reported.

All party departments were asked to intensify supervision of officials' adherence to various disciplines ad party policies and decisions.

The threat and scope of corruption was highlighted by various officials at the November party congress. Outgoing President Hu Jintao was blunt in his warning about the problem.

"If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the party, and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state," Hu told the delegates. "All those who violate party discipline and state laws, whoever they are and whatever power or official positions they have, must be brought to justice without mercy."

Xi, in an early indication of his new team's priorities, has also warned about corruption and the need to win people's trust and support by avoiding bureaucratic extravagance.