Xi Jinping visits an impoverished villager in Luotuowan village of Fuping county, Hebei province, on Dec 30. [Photo/Xinhua]

Extravagance risks the collapse of a political party, Xi said, warning that corruption has become a life-or-death challenge facing the CPC and the nation.

After becoming the general secretary, Xi promised to crack down on corruption, "restrict power by the cage of regulations" and make cadres be respectful of law and refrain from wrongdoing.

He also vowed to go after both "flies" and "tigers," which imply corrupt low-level functionaries and big powers respectively.

A number of suspected corrupt officials have been investigated or prosecuted over the past four months.

Being the general secretary, Xi conducted his first inspection tour to southern Guangdong Province, a pioneer in China's reform and opening up more than three decades ago.

Many interpreted the move as a strong sign to continue the country's reform and opening-up drive.

To bring the "Chinese dream" to fruition, the country needs to continue its reform and opening-up drive, a point Xi reiterated during his trip to Guangdong and in group studies conducted for the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

"We'll never stop reform and opening up," Xi said. "We must waste no time in deepening reforms in key areas."

Some of the reforms China needs to carry out include transforming government functions and streamlining the administrative system.

At the second plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee held in February, Xi stressed that the government should figure out what it should do and not do in changing its functions.

Different roles and responsibilities of the government, the market and the society should be clearly defined, but the service of the government to the people should never change, Xi said.