Amid escalating internal power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officials are shifting from past abuses of power for promotion to a state of inaction in order to secure their own safety, leading to a prevailing trend of “lying flat” in the officialdom. Shortly after the Chinese New Year holidays, CCP party media published articles rehashing remarks by CCP leader Xi Jinping criticizing officials for “lying flat,” suggesting a suspicion of subtle critique by the party media.
Multiple CCP state media outlets reported that the latest issue of the CCP’s magazine “Qiushi” published an article attributed to Xi Jinping on March 1. This article actually excerpts Xi Jinping’s remarks on “daring to take responsibility” made between December 2012 to December 2025.
Xi’s remarks included criticisms of officials for “only wanting positions without wanting to work, only seeking power without assuming responsibility, only desiring to shine without putting in effort.”
The article aimed to interpret the authorities’ so-called “comprehensively governing the party with strict discipline,” claiming that encouraging individuals to take responsibility is not in conflict with strictness. It stated that strictness does not mean stifling individuals or creating a climate of fear and inaction but instead aims to promote an environment where willingness, courage, and excellence in shouldering responsibilities become prevalent.
In contrast to the call for “taking responsibility” by the party media, top-level officials within the CCP and the military are undergoing large-scale internal purges.
On February 26, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the CCP held its 21st meeting in Beijing, dismissing 19 National People’s Congress delegates, including 9 military generals, including 5 senior generals. Prior to this, Central Military Commission Vice Chair Zhang Youxia and CMC member Liu Zhenli were announced to be under investigation on January 24, causing tremors in the officialdom.
According to CCP official reports, 181 mid-level officials were investigated last year, nearly double the number from 2024.
Meanwhile, China’s economy has been on a downward trend in recent years, leading to financial constraints at the local level, resulting in significant cuts to the once generous perks enjoyed by officials and civil servants within the system.
Current affairs commentator Li Linyi told Epoch Times that the party media’s amplification of Xi Jinping’s criticisms implying officials only seeking positions without fulfilling their duties, as well as the explanation that being strict does not mean stifling individuals into inaction, actually points to underlying meanings.
Li believed that these statements first confirm the prevailing “lying flat” trend in the officialdom, which is characterized by stagnation and inaction, and secondly, indicate that the current anti-corruption campaign of the authorities is facing dilemmas and encountering collective passive resistance from officials. Therefore, the publication of such articles by the party media may even arouse suspicions of subtle derogatory implications.
The term “lying flat” first emerged in China’s online sphere in 2011, initially describing the stance of mainland young people advocating against buying houses, cars, getting married, having children, consuming, and striving for promotions. In the unjust governance environment of the CCP, “lying flat” has been viewed as a form of non-violent civil disobedience, receiving criticism from the party media.
Since Xi Jinping came to power and intensified selective anti-corruption campaigns, the issue of officials “lying flat” in the CCP officialdom has become increasingly severe. In recent years, authorities have taken action against officials practicing “lying flat,” with many regions reportedly establishing databases of “lying flat civil servants” to identify and address those engaging in passive acts of negligence.
Legal expert Yuan Hongbing, based in Australia, previously told Epoch Times that the main reason for officials “lying flat,” neglecting their duties, is mainly dissatisfaction with various foolish national policies imposed by the ruling class, as nobody wants to perish along the same lines. Neglect of duty has evolved into a significant political crisis within the CCP, especially as grassroots officials have embraced “lying flat,” indicating a significant shake-up in the foundation of CCP’s governance.