In recent weeks since June, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission of the Chinese Communist Party have continuously reported on multiple officials being investigated, involving systems such as inspection, finance, local government, construction, universities, and disciplinary inspection. Insiders have indicated that the CCP’s anti-corruption campaign has expanded from targeting corruption to scrutinizing political attitudes, leading to a state of every man for himself within the officialdom.
Following the 20th National Congress of the CCP, there have been changes in the rules regarding promotion and self-preservation for officials. Officials within the local government, finance, political and legal affairs, state-owned enterprises, and military systems now not only face anti-corruption reviews but also political stance evaluations. The overlapping efforts in anti-corruption, inspections, audits, and special rectifications mean that projects approval, financial allocations, investment attraction, and personnel arrangements handled by officials in the past could be subject to retrospective scrutiny at any time.
Mr. Xin, who is familiar with the political circles in Europe, recently revealed to Epoch Times that the internal purification within the CCP officialdom has been escalating, prompting many officials to consider leaving the country. He stated, “My friends in China say that now everyone from top to bottom is being investigated. They claim it’s about checking if personal income and assets match up, but it’s actually about examining their statements, checking WeChat and Weibo posts. They say it’s about anti-corruption, but in reality, it’s about scrutinizing personal political attitudes and looking at statements made in the past three years to see if there were any objections to the General Secretary’s reelection. If you have financial issues, they’ll catch you directly, without checking anything else.”
The website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission reported on June 2 that the former director of the Office of the Central Inspection Work Leading Group, Li Xiaohong, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and is under investigation. On the same day, at least 10 officials were investigated, involving the inspection system, financial institutions, local governments, construction departments, and university systems.
Professor Zhang, residing in Australia, stated that in the past 20 days, the frequency of CCP officials falling from grace is unprecedented, indicating that the anti-corruption campaign is no longer just about dealing with economic corruption but is also reevaluating officials’ qualifications to stand under political pressure. He mentioned, “I was told from Beijing that the situation domestically is very chaotic now. They are now investigating exchanges of benefits, assets, and officials’ overseas relationships. I’ve heard that high-ranking officials have inquired about Wang Qishan’s overseas connections. I don’t think they will touch Wang Qishan because he has openly pledged allegiance to the top leader (referring to Xi Jinping). But internally, there are talks of investigating Wang Qishan next, and it seems like they have a list ready. Whether they investigate or not, there’s a show unfolding.”
The website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission reported on June 10 that Chen Yujian, a member of the Party Group of the Shanghai Municipal Government and Deputy Mayor, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and is under scrutiny and investigation. People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and other mainland media subsequently relayed this news.
Professor Zhang, who previously worked in Shanghai, noted that Chen Yujian was an official promoted during Han Zheng’s leadership in Shanghai, and his downfall sends a warning to the officialdom that neither Wang Qishan’s nor Han Zheng’s circles are safe anymore. He stated, “Now, regardless of whether you are retiring, currently in office, or from Zhejiang or Fujian, everyone is being investigated. Many people who have just changed positions or been recently promoted could also be investigated. They advised me not to return unless necessary.”
In May, on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, a total of 84 inspection and investigation reports were published, including senior officials, officials from central-level party and state organs, state-owned enterprises, and financial units. As June unfolded, the subjects of the reports continued to cover systems such as inspection, finance, local government, construction, development and reform, and the National People’s Congress.
Feng Cheng, a historian from the mainland (pseudonym), mentioned that a collective sense of self-preservation is emerging within the local officialdom. He commented, “Many officials nowadays are reluctant to sign documents, interact with businesses, or address historical legacy issues. A junior official who returned from the party school told me that when the top officials in some regions dine together, they express uncertainty about what they should do. If issues arise, they will investigate your relationship with that official, which could take months. People are less likely to make social visits now. I asked, ‘Can’t you just not hold a position?’ He responded, ‘Even if you resign, you need approval from superiors. Would you dare to resign?'”
A review of recent reports on CCP’s anti-corruption efforts indicates three trends among those under investigation: firstly, a high frequency with multiple people being investigated on the same day; secondly, a wide scope covering inspection systems, financial systems, local party and government, and university systems; and thirdly, internal supervisory departments are also subject to scrutiny.
Under this atmosphere, officials are becoming increasingly fearful of being investigated, thereby becoming more reluctant to sign documents, meet with businesses, or address historical legacy issues. While the local officialdom may seem to be functioning on the surface, in reality, it has entered a state of evading responsibilities, self-preservation, and cautious observation.