HONG KONG -- A key policy document endorsed by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party at the same time that it approved Hu Jintao as Jiang Zemin's successor as the country's top leader calls for urgent steps to enhance the party's ability to govern while outlining a cautious strategy of gradual and moderate reforms.
Conceding that the party's mode of governance was "not perfect," it criticizes some leading cadres for lacking "the ability to govern according to law and the competence to deal with complicated problems." It adds that some leaders don't have a strong sense of responsibility, personal integrity, a down-to-earth style of work or a close connection with the general public.
The document sounds a note of urgency, declaring that enhancement of the party's governance capability is related not only to "the success of China's socialist cause" but also to "the future and destiny of the Chinese nation, the life and death of the party, as well as the lasting stability and prosperity of the country."