BEIJING - Communist Party of China (CPC) leaders on Monday vowed to expand democracy in recruiting new members, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

"Criteria should be strictly followed, and political criteria should be prioritized," said a statement issued after the meeting on strengthening the recruitment and management of Party members, which was presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping.

The education and cultivation of those eager to join the CPC should be strengthened, and democracy should be expanded in the recruitment process, said the statement.

Work procedures and discipline should be strict in order to enhance the quality of recruits, it said.

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