The Communist Party of China (CPC) has started an 18 month education campaign assisting Party members to keep their integrity and noble spirit.

Launching this campaign is a major decision of the CPC Central Committee to strengthen Party building and maintain the advanced nature of the Party, Zeng Qinghong, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said at Wednesday's mobilization meeting.

"The Party's life and strength lies in its advanced nature, which concerns the stability of the Party's ruling status and the completion of its missions," said Zeng.

He called on Party committees at all levels to work hard to ensure the smooth progress of the campaign.

According to the decision of the CPC Central Committee, the Party's 68 million-plus members will go through the education in three batches starting this month. The whole process is expected to take about a year and a half.

The main purpose of the campaign is to help Party members adhere to their communist ideal and belief, abide by the principles and decisions of the Party, carry forward the Party's fine traditions and solve major existing problems.

Wu Guanzheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, chaired Wednesday's meeting. He Guoqiang, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the meeting.

An editorial to be carried in Thursday's People's Daily, an organ of the CPC Central Committee, says that maintaining the advanced nature of the Party is related to the improvement of the Party's governance capability and the consolidation of the Party's ruling position.

"In the 50-plus years since the CPC came into power, the Party has led the Chinese people in putting an end to division and backwardness of the country and building it into a prosperous New China. The fundamental reason behind the world stunning achievements is that the Party has consistently kept its advanced nature," it says.

As international competition mounts and China's reform and opening up enters a crucial period, says the editorial, social relationships are becoming more complex and new issues and problems are cropping up. This situation "calls on the Party to greatly strengthen its governing capability and the Party members to play pioneering and exemplary roles."

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2005)