Shed obsession with GDP numbers, return to Marxism, Xi tells party cadres

Officials of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) should shed the obsession with gross domestic product (GDP) numbers to get promotions and return to principles of Marxism, which suffered an ideological meltdown in the course of the country's economic reforms, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.

The party should adopt more comprehensive criteria for assessing the performance of its officials other than judging them from GDP numbers, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC, told a meeting on the eve of the 92nd founding anniversary of the party, which has ruled the country since 1949.

The party should consider a local official's work in various aspects including people's livelihood, the development of local society and the quality of environment, Xi said.

"We should never judge a cadre simply by the GDP," he said expressing annoyance over excessive focus on economic growth numbers by local and provincial officials to highlight the development in their regions.

China, the world's second-largest economy, needs growth of about seven per cent to achieve the CPC's target of doubling per capita GDP by 2020 from the level in 2010.

When promoting officials, the CPC should consider integrity as a priority and then capability, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying at the meeting.

"The party's cadre should be firm followers of Communist ideals, true believers of Marxism and devoted fighters for the socialism with Chinese characteristics," he said.

A party official's integrity will not grow with the years of service and promotion of his post but with persistent efforts to discipline himself and study Marxist classics and theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said. To select and promote good officials, the party needs an efficient and reasonable system, he added. Observers say 60-year-old Xi, who is also the general secretary of the party, head of the military and the presidency, has emerged as the most powerful leader in China after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, two leaders who shaped the party and China in the last six decades.

In his speech, Xi said more efforts should be made to improve the transparency of promotions and promote an upright style in the recommendation and assessment of officials adding that the promotion of officials should not be decided by simple headcount of votes.

The President also stressed on training and promotion of young party officials and pledged that more opportunities will be offered to young promising candidates.

Xi urged punishing disciplinary violations and corruption during official selection procedures.

Buying and selling official positions as well as canvassing must be punished without any appeasement, said Xi, who took power in March after a once-in-a-decade leadership change in China, succeeding Hu Jintao.