China's new leaders promise clean govt, graft control

China's new leaders struck a populist tone Sunday as they got down to the painstaking work of governing, promising cleaner government, less red tape and more fairness to enlarge a still small middle class and help struggling private businesses.

In appearances that mark the completion of a months-long, orchestrated leadership transition, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang stressed the urgency of reining in runaway official corruption to restore the Communist Party's frayed public credibility.

Li made specific pledges to slash official perks and government extravagance to free up money for social welfare programs at a time of slower economic growth. He said a ban will be put on building new government offices, government payrolls will be reduced, as will spending on banquets, travel and cars — behavior that has fueled public anger and protests. "If the people are to live a good life, their government must be put on a tight budget,'' Li said in his first news conference as premier after the end of the annual session of the national legislature.

Earlier, in addressing the nearly 3,000 legislative deputies in the Great Hall of the People, Xi promised to root out "corruption and other misconduct in all manifestations.'' He said people's own aspirations must be part of "the Chinese dream'' — a signature phrase he has used to invoke national greatness. "Each of us must have broad space to diligently realise our own dreams,'' he said.

"The government should be the guardian of social fairness. We need to work hard to create equal opportunities for everyone, so that people's hard work will be duly rewarded," Li said.

Though Xi and Li were installed as Nos. 1 and 2 in the party leadership in November, Sunday's closing of the legislature means their government is now fully in place.

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