Beijing (AsiaNews) - China's Communist Party has warned its members that corruption and incompetence could threaten its hold on power. In  a very unusual blunt message, the party's Central Committee said in a policy paper that Communist rule could not be taken for granted. The anti-graft drive was a "life and death struggle" for the party, it said.

The 36-page document - endorsed by the fourth plenum of the party's 16th central committee last Sunday and released by Xinhua last night - delivered a strong and urgent crisis message to the CCP's 68-million members.

The document said the party's leadership and governance was still imperfect, citing among its problems rampant corruption in some departments and loose morals in some grassroots units.

It acknowledged that corruption is "quite serious" despite a multi-year crackdown in which thousands of officials have been punished, and some executed.

"These problems will undermine the party's ruling effectiveness. They must receive high attention from the party and be resolved properly," it warned, while keeping economic development a priority.

In order to ensure the implementation of the party's policies, the party should strengthen its leadership through legal means.

The party also reaffirmed its need to keep a tight grip on the media, pledging to "firmly hold the direction of public opinion and correctly guide public opinion".

"In this regard, the principle that the party controls the media must be upheld, so as to enhance the capability to guide public opinion and gain the initiative of the media work," it said. It also vowed to assume a strong position in creating "positive views" on the internet by stepping up government and self-regulation.

The party would step up the forecasting of economic trends, and map out effective solutions to problems that may arise. It would also continue to pay attention to weaknesses in the economy - especially problems with the agricultural sector, development of the western region and rejuvenation of the northeastern industrial belt - while working to narrow the wealth gap with tough measures.

The party pledged to implement its religious freedom policy, adding, however, that it would continue to "actively guide religious activities into adapting with socialism".

Despite the external threats "by hostile forces" that want "to impose westernisation and disintegration on us", the document said the CCP would uphold the banners of peace, development and co-operation in handling foreign affairs. It would adhere to the independent foreign policy of peace and never declare itself a hegemonic power.

The party said it would continue to oppose foreign intervention in the affairs of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Regarding the issue of Taiwan, the party said its sacred mission was to achieve reunification. It added that it would maintain the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems".

Many Chinese scholars and sociologists cite the communist monopoly on power as the root of many of China's entrenched problems of corruption, official incompetence and enduring rural poverty.

Although Sunday's report called for expanded "socialist democracy," it gave no indication the party was relenting in its opposition to multiparty democracy. Millions of Chinese are allowed to vote in nonpartisan elections for local officials, but the government stamps out any attempt to create a political opposition.

In a speech this month, Hu rejected Western-style politics, saying it would lead China into a "dead end."