Hu urges Communist Party to live simple life

China's Communist Party chief Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) has urged the party's 65 million members to live a simple life and work hard and avoid the temptation of indulgences such as money, power and sex.

Analysts said Hu's speech, splashed on the front pages of all major Chinese newspapers on Friday, was aimed at reviving the image of a party tarnished by high-level corruption scandals, and at reassuring party stalwarts they should not be threatened by recent moves to embrace private entrepreneurs.

Hu, who became Communist Party chief in November but still remains in the shadow of his predecessor Jiang Zemin (江澤民), urged cadres to embrace "the fine style of simple living and hard work and endeavor to realize the grand goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way."

"Whether every party member, especially leading cadres, can resist the temptations of power, money, beauty and sex is a practical test," Hu said in a Dec. 6 speech, excerpts of which were published two days after the tour.

The newspapers gave no reason for the delay in the publication of the full text of Hu's first major policy address since he succeeded Jiang as Communist Party general secretary at the 16th party congress in November -- China's first orderly succession since 1949.

Hu, virtually surrounded by Jiang allies in the new party leadership, made the remarks during an inspection tour of Xibaipo in the northern province of Hebei -- site of Mao Zedong's (毛澤東) last revolutionary base before he swept to power in 1949.

Also on the tour was Zeng Qinghong (曾慶紅), 63, Jiang's closest protege and also a member of the new nine-man Politburo Standing Committee, the party's top decision making body.

Zeng is regarded as the greatest potential rival to Hu, although some diplomats say the two appeared together as a sign of unity in the new party leadership after a historic transition to a younger generation.

In the speech, Hu invoked Mao's name 16 times, quoting the late Communist Party chairman extensively. That compared with just five mentions for Jiang.

"The roads we must walk are still long. The responsibilities we must shoulder are still heavy," Hu said.

"The difficulties and challenges we may face are still many. We must be humble, prudent, live a simple life and work hard from start to end," said Hu, who is expected to be elected president at the annual session of parliament in March, replacing Jiang.

Some analysts said by invoking the party's long-lost tradition of frugality and hard work, Hu was trying to placate hardline cadres disgruntled with a landmark decision at the November congress to admit private entrepreneurs into the party.