The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee vowed Friday to "expand intra-Party democracy to develop people's democracy" and resolutely fight corruption.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee endorsed the decision of the CPC Central Committee on major issues on strengthening and improving Party building under the new circumstances.

A communique issued upon the closing of the four-day plenum acknowledged that quite a few problems existed inside the Party that ran counter to new circumstances and the Party's nature.

They were "severely weakening the Party's creativity, unity and effectiveness," it said.

ARDUOUS TASK

The communique said the mission to strictly manage the Party had never been so onerous and pressing.

It said these drawbacks were also "severely" harming the ties of flesh and blood between the Party and people and the consolidation of the Party's rule.

The communique said with deep changes in the world, the country and the Party had raised new requirements for Party building and all Party members should be aware of and vigilant about the problems and solve them as quickly as possible.

The new circumstances were summarized by the communique as "long-term, complicated and draconian tests" for the CPC's ruling capability, its reform and open-up policy, adoption of a market economy and adaptation to outside circumstances.

It urged all Party members to be always prepared for dangers in times of peace and push forward Party building work to ensure the Party's "backbone" position in people's minds when coping with various domestic and overseas challenges.

It urged members to be innovative, creative and never form ossified way of thinking and never stand still.

INTRA-PARTY DEMOCRACY

The communique said the Party's internal democracy was "the lifeblood of the Party."

It said the CPC would firmly push forward the intra-Party democracy by sticking to "democratic centralism," with democracy as a base and centralism as a guide.

The Party must ensure the democratic rights and the central role of its members and strengthen the intra-Party democracy at the grassroots level.

It would "extensively absorb the will and views of all Party members and bring their initiative and creativity to a full play," the document said.

"The CPC will ensure the unity of people of all ethnic groups by intensifying the Party's strength and unity," it said.

The communique said the Party would uphold and improve its leadership system.

It would also improve the systems of Party congress, Party officials' elections and democratic decision-making mechanism within the CPC.

It said the Party must stick to a democratic, open, competitive, credible, merit-based and vigorous mechanism of selecting Party officials in order to foster more excellent cadres.

Party officials must be "revolutionary, young, knowledge-based and professional" and the CPC must explore extensively to select cadres to ensure the Party boasts high-caliber members, it said.

Moral integrity should be highlighted when selecting officials and their ability of "promoting scientific development and social harmony" should be improved, it added.

The communique said the Party's grassroots organizations were the foundation of the entire Party work and its combat power, and were "fighting bastions" in implementing the CPC policies.

Efforts should be made to boost the vitality of grassroots Party committees and members, it said.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION

The CPC central committee also vowed to resolutely fight corruption and "fully explore the arduous and complicated nature of the combat against corruption."

The communique said the fight against corruption was a "major political task" the Party must always implement well.

It said anti-corruption work and the upholding of integrity must be strengthened and efforts must be made to "address both the symptoms and root causes of corruption."

The prevention of corruption should be strengthened by reinforcing education, supervision, reform and institutional innovation in the field, the communique said.

The Party should also enhance officials' self-discipline and exert greater efforts in dealing with cases violating the law and CPC discipline, it said.

"The work style of the ruling Party concerns the image of the CPC and the outcome of the cause of the Party and the People."

The communique said the Party would "improve the system of restraint and supervision of power" and promote creativity in fighting corruption and upholding integrity.

PROMOTING ECONOMY

The leadership said maintaining sound and fast economic growth was still its primary task in economic work.

The communique said the country was "in a crucial period in maintaining economic growth."

"China's economy is recovering from the global downturn, but the foundation of economic recovery is not stable, not solid and not balanced and there are still many uncertain factors in China and internationally."

It said the country would continue with its proactive fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policy.

"Macroeconomic policies will remain stable and mechanisms will be upgraded to cope with the global financial crisis."

It said more efforts would be put into restructuring, innovation, reducing energy consumption and environmental protection.

The Party would also exert more efforts to plan as a whole rural-urban development, balance development of different regions, deepen reforms and opening-up and improve people's livelihood, the communique said.

It urged earnest efforts to maintain social stability and ward off various risks to strive for the fulfillment of economic and social targets this year.

ETHNIC ISSUES

In the communique, the Party pledged to "effectively prevent and resolutely crack down on ethnicity-related separatist activities."

The Party would also launch massive, in-depth and persistent educational campaigns on ethnic unity to this end.

It was of "great significance" to manage ethnic work well and strengthen and develop a socialist ethnic relationship featuring equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony, the document said.

"Under the new circumstances, we should continue to promote the progress of ethnic unity to ensure the country's long-term social stability and harmony," it said.

In the communique, the CPC said it would comprehensively carry out its ethnic policies and the system of regional ethnic autonomy to promote the economic and social development in ethnic areas.

A total of 194 full members and 163 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee attended the plenum, according to the communique.

Members of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and top officials of relevant departments were also present at the session.

Some delegates to the 17th CPC National Congress who were in charge of Party affairs at the grassroots, and experts and scholars in this field, also attended the meeting.

Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a work report at the session, which was held here from Sept. 15 to 18 and presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.