CPC leadership meeting stresses Party discipline

A meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership has stressed strengthening Party discipline and urged senior leaders to set an exemplary and leading role in observing Party rules.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech while chairing the criticism and self-criticism meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was held from Thursday to Friday.

Members of the Political Bureau conducted criticism and self-criticism at the meeting, focusing on consolidating and deepening the results of the Party-wide campaign on CPC discipline education, which ran from April to July.

Their remarks addressed key issues, including upholding the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized and unified leadership, serving the people, implementing the Central Committee's decisions and plans, studying Party discipline, and exercising strict Party self-supervision and self-governance.

Xi commented on each speech, stating that the meeting was successful and would help the Political Bureau strengthen unity and improve its work.

He also praised the Party discipline education campaign, noting that it had produced significant results, as Party members and officials saw their awareness of discipline, rules, integrity and self-discipline enhanced and sense of responsibility strengthened.

Xi pointed out that leading officials should take raising their ideological awareness as a lifelong task, and urged the Political Bureau members to be strict with themselves and take the lead in studying Party theories and observing Party discipline. Stressing that Party discipline can be both a restraint and an encouragement, Xi urged Political Bureau members to be role models in observing Party discipline and work as dedicated and innovative public servants, and to support and encourage those who are highly responsible and determined to forge ahead. Xi called on Party members to remain vigilant and resolute in the fight against corruption, as it is a continuous and long-term cause.

Political Bureau members should be more strict with themselves and committed to fighting corruption in the areas they administer, and strengthen the education of their family members and subordinates, Xi added.

It is the common responsibility of the whole Party to strictly implement and uphold Party discipline, Xi said, adding that Political Bureau members should shoulder their responsibility as leaders, executors and promoters in strengthening Party discipline.

Stressing that there will be arduous tasks in advancing reform, promoting development and maintaining stability in the coming year, Xi urged officials at all levels to identify pressing difficulties and issues that concern people the most, learn about problems that require immediate solutions, so as to address them with targeted approaches.

CPC leadership meeting stresses Party discipline

CPC leadership meeting stresses Party discipline

The recent Israeli airstrikes on multiple sites in Yemen, including Hodeidah Port in the north, could have devastating consequences, potentially further worsening the humanitarian situation in the country, an United Nations official said on Friday.

On Dec 19, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in northern Yemen, resulting in the destruction of two major power stations in the capital, Sanaa, and several ports along the coast of the Red Sea.

A total of three ports in Hodeidah Province were affected by the airstrikes: the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef, and Ras Isa.

On Thursday, Israel launched another round of airstrikes targeting key infrastructure and Houthi-controlled sites in Sanaa and Hodeidah, according to media reports.

Julien Harneis, UN resident coordinator in Yemen, stated that 80 percent of food and nearly 90 to 95 percent of medical supplies needed in northern Yemen rely on Hodeidah Port for passage, making the port extremely important.

He emphasized that if the port were to break down, it would have catastrophic consequences, leading to a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

"So, the airstrikes some days ago which destroyed the two tugs was estimated to reduce the harbor capacity by 50 percent. Now, we don't know how long that reduction in capacity will be and we have yet to done a thorough analysis of what the impact of yesterday's airstrikes. So, we're still collecting information and trying to understand that," Harneis said.

The UN predicts that by 2025, the population in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen will rise to 19 million people. If the internal conflict in Yemen persists, this situation may worsen even further, Harneis noted.

Israeli airstrikes on Yemen may trigger devastating consequences: UN official