Two books on communist leaders' remarks on the "mass line" and thrift have been published as part of a campaign by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to strengthen ties between Party members and the people.

Brought to prominence by leaders' recent speeches, the "mass line" refers to a guideline under which the Party is required to prioritize the interests of the people, share weal and woe with them and persist in exercising power for them.

Published by the Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee, the books contain selected remarks of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, as well as Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping.

The publication of the books comes amid CPC efforts to launch a "thorough cleanup" of undesirable work styles such as formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.

Party members are required to "take a long look in the mirror, groom oneself, take a bath and seek remedies," or more prosaically, to reflect on their own practices and correct any misbehavior, so as to form closer ties with the people.