On January 9, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection meeting, vowing to continue the anti-corruption campaign. The official report released by the Commission after the meeting mentioned three additional areas that will be focused on for cleansing in 2025. Analysts believe that corruption is pervasive in various sectors of the Chinese Communist Party, and the primary objective of the anti-corruption campaign is about money.
The fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party concluded yesterday (8th), emphasizing that this year authorities will rigorously investigate corruption cases intertwined with political and economic issues and intensify efforts to combat “cross-border corruption.” In addition to the eight key areas (finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, sports, infrastructure projects, and bidding and tendering) identified for cleansing last year, this year, firefighting, universities, and development zones have been added to the list of focus areas.
Regarding the addition of three new key areas for anti-corruption by the Chinese Communist Party, current affairs commentator Li Lin told Epoch Times that anything and everything is being thrown into the anti-corruption basket by the Party, indicating that the anti-corruption efforts are more of a formality because corruption is rampant across all sectors, and there is no area untouched by corruption.
Li pointed out that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party claims to investigate corruption cases involving political and economic issues, but the underlying motivation remains money. The more economic problems there are, the more money can be seized through anti-corruption efforts. However, if officials no longer have personal gains to pursue, they are likely to become complacent.
He criticized the Party for continuously targeting individuals and accumulating funds while much larger sums of money are being embezzled by other corrupt officials, perpetuating a vicious cycle. The intensified efforts to combat cross-border corruption were also mentioned for the same reason.
Human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping of the Chinese diaspora expressed to Epoch Times that the Chinese Communist Party talks about cracking down on corruption every year, yet corruption continues to prevail deeply. The changing targets annually are merely a deception tactic to mislead the public. Wu explained that the severe economic downturn in China has led to a decline in fiscal revenue, prompting the Communist Party to combat corruption to make up for the shortfall in revenue. The emphasis on combating cross-border corruption is merely a cosmetic alteration to pre-existing measures such as the “Fox Hunt” program targeting corrupt individuals overseas.
The official report from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party emphasizes the determination to investigate both bribe-takers and bribe-givers and to crack down resolutely on those who influence officials and engage in bribery.
Li Lin observed that in the past, the Party only targeted bribe-takers while overlooking or giving lenient sentences to bribe-givers. The current focus on cracking down on bribe-givers reflects the endemic level of corruption and decadence within the officialdom.
Recently, the state-run media in China released a four-part series on anti-corruption titled “Corruption for the People,” featuring several corrupt officials such as former Guizhou Province Party Secretary Sun Zhigang, former Minister of Justice Tang Yijun, and former Deputy Minister of the Central United Front Work Department Cui Maohu.
In response, Wu Shaoping dismissed the series as a mockery, emphasizing that the Communist Party’s anti-corruption campaign being “for the people” is not believable, even to the staunchest supporters of the regime.
He argued that if the Communist Party’s anti-corruption efforts were genuinely for the people, they would implement transparency laws, disclose the assets of government officials, and address the root causes of corruption. Wu criticized the Party for setting anti-corruption goals but failing to achieve them, exposing the facade of the Party’s anti-corruption campaign.
Wu further stated that Xi Jinping’s 12-year anti-corruption campaign is solely aimed at maintaining the Party’s dictatorship and upholding Xi’s personal authoritarian rule.
Following the 20th Party Congress, Xi Jinping’s close associates within the Party, government, and military have faced consequences, with figures like Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Defense Minister Li Shangfu being removed from their positions. Numerous military commanders and senior officials in the military-industrial complex have also been detained. In particular, on November 28 last year, Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, was suspended pending investigation. Miao Hua’s downfall, as one of Xi’s confidants, has attracted international attention.
Wu Shaoping reiterated that Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign aimed to legitimize his authority, but with ongoing rampant corruption issues, Xi cannot absolve himself from accountability since he is the paramount leader of the Communist Party.
On January 6 this year, Xi Jinping acknowledged at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection meeting that the current situation regarding the fight against corruption remains severe and complex. He admitted that existing corruption still lingers, and new cases continue to emerge. Public opinion perceives Xi’s remarks as confirmation of the deepening corruption under his rule, acknowledging his failure in combating corruption.