The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a meeting Tuesday to examine methods to curb corruption in the coming years.

Presided over by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the meeting heard a report by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which outlined its work plan for 2003.

The meeting laid out a blueprint for combating corruption, stressing that Deng Xiaoping Theory and the "Three Represents" should be used as a guide for building a clean government and for striking hard against corruption.

The meeting emphasized that anti-corruption efforts should be strengthened and that any form of corrupt behavior should be severely punished.

The meeting also noted that the government's anti-corruption mechanism should be constantly improved and that CPC committees at all levels should do a good job in their anti-corruption work.

The meeting urged that officials at various levels, especially the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, wield the power bestowed upon them by the people in an appropriate manner and submit to public supervision.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2003)