China's new leader Xi Jinping says party faces 'severe challenges' including corruption
Beijing, Nov. 15 (ANI)
China's Communist Party faces 'severe challenges' including corruption and alienation from the people, new leader Xi Jinping has said after being appointed head of the ruling party.
"The party faces many severe challenges, and there are also many pressing problems within the party that need to be resolved, particularly corruption, being divorced from the people, going through formalities and bureaucratism caused by some party officials,'' Xi said.
"We must make every effort to solve these problems. The whole party must stay on full alert,'' he added, speaking on a stage in Beijing's Great Hall of the People before hundreds of Chinese and foreign journalists.
According to the Herald Sun, appearing relaxed and confident, Jinping spoke for about 19 minutes after succeeding Hu Jintao as general-secretary of the all-powerful Communist Party.
He is also expected to succeed Jintao as state president in March, the report added.