Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made a speech at a rally marking the Party's 95th founding anniversary on Friday, stressing that the CPC must adhere to its Marxist roots and strictly prevent its members from becoming corrupt, otherwise it will lose power.

In his speech to top CPC officials in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi stressed that China should maintain the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi said that we should firmly believe that socialism with Chinese characteristics is the system that will guarantee China's social development, and it has advantages and self-improvement ability.

Xi addressed the need for Marxism and to update the theoretical work of the Party.

Xu Xing, a professor of politics at the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University, told the Global Times on Friday that upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics and Marxism means adhering to the leadership of the CPC.

"The CPC has led China to achieve great success in the past 60 years under the guidance of Marxism. It should adapt Marxist principles to the current realities in a bid to deal with more complicated challenges from home and the outside world," said Xu.

Xi also called for improvement to CPC leadership and stressed that the CPC must keep improving itself to ensure its leadership.

Xi said the key to doing things well in China lies in the CPC, which currently has more than 88 million members.

He demanded Party members become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership, and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy.

Xi has led efforts in fighting corruption since 2012, calling on the Party to stay on full alert and describing corruption as a threat to the Party's very survival.

Many senior officials have been arrested for corruption during the campaign, including Zhou Yongkang, a former Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission.

"The anti-graft campaign is necessary for the self-discipline of the CPC. Zero-tolerance attitude toward both high-ranking 'tigers' and low-ranking 'flies' could earn people's trust when China has deepen its all-around reform," said Xu.

Xi also addressed the issue of official selection and promotion in his Friday's speech, pledging that "we will promote officials possessing both ability and integrity."

At the end of his speech, Xi cited Mao Zedong's remark in March 1949, comparing the CPC's governance to taking a test.

"The CPC has got excellent marks in the historical test but it has not ended … What we have done by bring our nation together is to continue the test,"said Xi.