New rules apply to all members of Party

More than 87 million members of the Communist Party of China will face punishment if they are disloyal or corrupt, or if they fail to perform their duty, under a new rule passed at a top-level Party meeting on Tuesday.

An intra-Party accountability regulation was adopted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee - the country's top decision-making body. President Xi Jinping presided over the meeting.

"The new regulation is a powerful tool to tighten the overall management of the Party," according to a statement issued after the meeting. It said being loyal, clean and willing to undertake responsibility are requirements for Party members, particularly leaders and officials.