习近平承诺反腐斗争中“拔除病树”，讲话内容在党内会议前刊发

President Xi Jinping has pledged to “uproot sick trees” in the anti-corruption fight, according to a speech transcript published by the party’s flagship magazine ahead of a major party conclave later this month.

The warning appeared on Thursday in the magazine Qiushi, which carried fresh details of a speech Xi delivered in January at the fifth plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party’s top anti-corruption watchdog.

The speech contained a series of blunt warnings to the party.

“The fight against corruption is a major battle that we cannot afford to lose and must never lose. We cannot stop for a moment or retreat even half a step … [We must] uproot or cut down ‘sick trees’ wherever necessary,” Xi said.