The People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), will run an editorial on Tuesday to hail the formation of the Party's new central leadership.

The newly elected central collective leadership can shoulder heavy historic tasks and the missions of the times, and will surely unite the people of various ethnic groups in making more achievements in building a moderately prosperous society and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, it says.

Hu Jintao was elected general secretary of the 17th CPC Central Committee at the central committee's first plenary session held on Monday. A lots of young officials with both capability and integrity have entered the central authorities.

The editorial says the election result fully reflects the vitality of the Party and the wishes of the people across the country.

"To keep the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must stick to the leadership of the CPC; To carry out well the Party's missions in governance, we must have have a strong and united leadership," it says.

The editorial spoke highly of those who have made great contributions to the cause of the Party and the people but have stepped down from leading posts.

"The first plenum of the 17th CPC Central Committee reveals that our Party is a firm, mature, united, harmonious Marxist Party that can always retain its vanguard role," the editorial says.

The editorial calls on the Chinese people to closely unite around the Party's central committee with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, stick to Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, thoroughly practice the scientific outlook on development and fully implement the essence of the 17th CPC National Congress to make innovations, press ahead with reform, and build China into a modernized socialist country that is prosperous, civilized and harmonious.

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2007)