Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized on Monday the need to advance full, rigorous self-governance of the Party by fostering good conduct.

He made the remark when speaking at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on the eve of the CPC's 104th founding anniversary, which falls on Tuesday.

Xi called for heightened efforts to raise awareness, enhance Party consciousness, regulate the exercise of power, enforce strict discipline and oversight, and fulfill responsibilities for Party self-governance in forging ahead with the Party's self-reform.

The session was held as the Party is about to wrap up in late July a four-month study campaign to implement guiding principles of the Party leadership's eight-point rules on improving work conduct. The rules, first introduced in late 2012, provide clear guidelines for Political Bureau members on research tours, meetings, documentation and other official duties.

During the session, Xi extended festive greetings to the Party's over 100 million members, while describing the eight-point rules as landmark measures for Party governance in the new era.

Since the CPC 18th National Congress in late 2012, the Party leadership has curbed many undesirable practices that were previously considered impossible to stop and eradicated long-standing problems that had persisted for years, he said.

Meanwhile, the task of building Chinese modernization that the Party shoulders is "extremely arduous" and the governing environment it faces is "exceptionally complex", Xi noted.

Party organizations and Party members, regardless of their levels or the work they undertake, should bear the responsibility of self-reform, while officials — especially senior officials — must lead by example in advancing self-reform, he emphasized.

Xi highlighted the need to enhance Party consciousness in advancing the Party's self-reform. The key lies in firming up ideals and convictions, consolidating loyalty to the Party, fostering a deep sense of service to the people, cultivating moral integrity, and staying honest and incorruptible, he said.

He emphasized that to fight corruption, it is imperative to regulate the exercise of power. A sound system that integrates the delegation, regulation and supervision of power must be established, ensuring clarity, transparency and traceability, he said.

Xi underlined strict discipline and oversight as powerful tools for the Party's self-reform, saying that violations of discipline and law must be dealt with resolutely. He called for efforts to combine intra-Party supervision with public oversight, and to value the role of public opinion and grassroots supervision as early warning mechanisms.

The group study session was held on the same day as Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to review a set of regulations on the work of the CPC Central Committee's decision-making, deliberative and coordinating institutions.

The meeting stressed that the regulations will further standardize the establishment, responsibilities and operations of the CPC Central Committee's decision-making, deliberative and coordinating institutions.

Such institutions should exercise more effective leadership and coordination over major tasks, and focus on planning, discussing and supervising major tasks, it said.

xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn