ADVISORY MEETING: Members rise for the national anthem at the opening of the First Session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on March 3 (LIU WEIBING)

In a little over three months Xi has presided over four meetings of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee respectively on implementing the guidelines of 18th CPC National Congress, trimming bureaucracy, fighting corruption and optimizing Party membership.

The CPC adopted measures for Party members to tighten bonds with the people on December 4, 2012, such as holding more grassroots meetings, traveling light with a small entourage, using fewer motorcades and shortening meetings and speeches.

Xi also led a campaign against pomp and extravagant banquets. Curbing "waste at the tip of the tongue" has become a catchphrase in China amid an intensified fight against wasted food. The "clean-your-plate" drive is gradually evolving into a trend among both officials and the general public.

The new leadership also adopted an unusually tough tone pinpointing the urgency of fighting corruption.

Xi vowed to unswervingly battle against graft, saying that "Power should be restricted by the cage of regulations," at a CPC disciplinary meeting on January 22.

The Party should swat "tigers" and "flies," meaning that it should deal with officials' illegal activities on one hand and on the other tackle more trivial malpractice that nevertheless exerts a great impact on the people, he said.

Xi promised to fight against privilege, and to grant "no exceptions" when it comes to Party discipline and law. "We must not relax the use of penalties if we want to rule Party members strictly," he said.

Meanwhile, Xi chose south China's Guangdong Province, which served as the testing ground for reform and opening-up policies more than 30 years ago, as the destination of his first inspection tour outside of Beijing after he assumed the top CPC post, assuring there would be no stop in reform.

In early January, then Vice Premier Li defined reform as "the biggest bonus" for China, and said that the ultimate goal of the reform is to benefit the people.

"Reforms in many respects are pressing. If pursued, they may cause some contradictions, but if not, more contradictions will be inevitable," said Chi Fulin, President of the China Institute for Reform and Development based in Hainan Province.

Chi said that he hopes the new leadership will speed up reform, and via the reform, release the country's potential more forcefully.

Xie noted the new leadership had produced impressing new remarks, policies and strategic deployment in its first 100 days.

"The core of these new moves is emancipating the mind, and seeking truth from facts. With the things they've done and their easy-going, practical and self-disciplined style, the new leaders have set themselves as role models in pushing forward reform, shunning empty talk," Xie said.

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