China’s all-powerful Communist Party yesterday unveiled a new seven-man leadership council steered by Xi Jinping to take command of the world’s number two economy for the next decade.

After striding out in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People as the party’s new general-secretary, succeeding President Hu Jintao, Xi vowed to fight official corruption and build a “better life” for the people.

Xi’s long-expected ascent to the apex of national politics was confirmed when he emerged on to the stage in front of the other six members of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, after a week-long party congress.

Xi, 59, has an impeccable political pedigree as the son of a lieutenant to revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

He will formally replace Hu as state president when the rubber-stamp legislature confirms the appointment in March.

“We are not complacent, and we will never rest on our laurels,” Xi said in his first address to the nation, standing in front of his colleagues on the new committee – all men, who all bar one wore red ties. The committee has been slimmed from nine members to seven, a change analysts said would ease decision-making at the consensus-driven heights of the Communist Party as China faces rapid change on a host of fronts.

“Under the new conditions, our party faces many severe challenges, and there are also many pressingproblems within the party that need to be resolved,” Xi said.