General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

-- Xi puts forward new tasks for Party building.

-- Xi says corruption is the "biggest" risk to the Party's governance.

-- 18 centrally-administrated officials were investigated in 2020.

-- "No alternative" but to fight corruption against all odds: Xi

BEIJING, Jan. 22 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed the importance of leveraging the guiding and safeguarding roles of strict Party governance in every respect to ensure the development goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) are fulfilled.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Friday when addressing the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The year 2020 was extraordinary in the history of the People's Republic of China, Xi said as he summarized the year's achievements in Party construction.

"People feel deeply that in stormy times the strong leadership of the Party and the authority of the CPC Central Committee are what they can always count on," Xi said.

The CPC Central Committee is satisfied with the progress made in improving Party conduct, building a clean government and combating corruption, he added.

Xi underscored the importance of improving political judgment, understanding and execution in implementing full and strict governance over the Party.