Party chiefs go the whole nine yards for Xi

China's top leader Xi Jinping opened his heart to 206 county-level Party chiefs and advised them as a caring elder to go all out to achieve the new standards for officials before they return to their posts this weekend after two months of intensive studies.

"Your job as county-level Party secretary is not easy at all," Xi said, sharing his feelings with the county leaders in Beijing on Jan 12 with his easy-going manner. "The official rank is not high, but the responsibilities are, so is the pressure," Xi said. But the officials have to "keep deep at heart the Party, the people, the responsibilities and self-admonition".

Simplified in Chinese as "four must haves for new officials", the requirements are highlighted as the new criteria that Party officials should achieve in clean governance.