BEIJING - Hu Jintao on Thursday asked leading officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to exercise strict self-discipline and strengthen supervision over their families and staff.

"Leading officials at all levels, especially high-ranking officials, must readily observe the code of conduct on clean governance and report all important matters," Hu said in a keynote speech at the opening of the CPC's 18th National Congress.

"They should both exercise strict self-discipline and strengthen education and supervision over their families and their staff; and they should never seek any privilege," Hu said.

The CPC should ensure that strict procedures are followed in the exercise of power, and tighten oversight over the exercise of power by leading officials, especially principal leading officials, he said.

Hu said combating corruption and promoting political integrity, which is a major political issue of great concern to the people, is a clear-cut and long-term political commitment of the Party.

"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," he said.

Hu said the CPC must make unremitting efforts to combat corruption, promote integrity and stay vigilant against degeneration.

The CPC should deepen reform of key areas and crucial links, improve the system of anti-corruption laws, prevent and manage risks to clean government, avoid conflict of interests, prevent and fight corruption more effectively and in a more scientific way, and increase international anti-corruption cooperation, he said.

Hu said the CPC must maintain a tough position in cracking down on corruption at all times, conduct thorough investigations into major corruption cases and work hard to resolve problems of corruption that directly affect the people.

"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," he said.

Hu also emphasized centralized leadership of the CPC, saying that no one is allowed to place oneself above the Party organization.

Centralized leadership of the Party is the source of its strength and a fundamental guarantee for China's economic and social development, ethnic unity and progress, and enduring peace and stability, Hu said.

The more complexities the Party faces and the more arduous the tasks it undertakes, the more imperative it is for the Party to strengthen its discipline and uphold centralized leadership, Hu said.

Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and officials, particularly principal leading officials, must willingly abide by the Party Constitution as well as its organizational principles and guiding principles for its political activities.

All Party organizations and members must resolutely uphold the authority of the Central Committee and maintain a high degree of unity with it theoretically, politically and in action, Hu said.

"We must ensure that the resolutions and decisions of the Central Committee are carried out effectively; and we will never allow anyone to take countermeasures against them or disregard them," he said.

The CPC will strengthen oversight and inspection, strictly enforce Party discipline, political discipline in particular, and take stern actions against violations of Party discipline, Hu said.

"We must ensure that all are equal before discipline, that nobody has the privilege of not observing it and that no exception should be made in its enforcement," Hu said, adding that this will enable the whole Party from leadership to the ranks to advance in unison as a great force.