Proposal to amend Constitution to be discussed at plenary session

The central item on the agenda of a key Communist Party of China meeting next month will be a discussion of amending the country's Constitution, as was decided at a meeting presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided to hold the Second Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in January.

Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the Political Bureau's meeting, which also heard a work report from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog, and discussed the Party's anti-graft work in 2018.

Before the session, Xi had presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, during which he was briefed about the CCDI's major tasks. The top anti-graft agency's second plenary session will be held from Jan 11 to 13, officials said.

The significance of fighting corruption and governing the Party with strict discipline was highlighted at the Political Bureau's meeting.

Anti-corruption work will be carried through to the end without any halt halfway, according to a statement released after the meeting.

The country's top anti-graft watchdog was urged to make Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era the guide for its work, shoulder the responsibility of governing the Party with strict discipline and practice strict supervision and punishment.

The CCDI must firmly uphold the Party's Constitution and other regulations, examine implementation of the spirit of the CPC's 19th National Congress and push completion of the central authorities' policies, the statement said.

The Political Bureau urged strict adherence to the Party's discipline and political rules, and those who are disloyal and dishonest with the Party must be strictly punished to ensure the central authorities' decisions are implemented.

The eight-point frugality rules must be strictly followed to gain the trust of the people, and undesirable work styles including formalism and bureaucracy must be firmly opposed, it said.

The Political Bureau urged building the Party's discipline comprehensively, deepening reform of the national supervision system and strictly punishing the corruptive activities that may harm the people's interests. Activities like cultivating personal power and forming interests groups must be strictly punished, the statement said.

Discipline and supervision authorities at all levels must fulfill their duties, enhance self-supervision and self-restriction, and build a clean anti-corruption team, it said.