**Xi Jinping’s Speech at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Meeting Raises Concern**
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s speech at the plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on January 6 has sparked attention from the public. Xi stated, “The existing corrupt practices have not been eradicated, and new corrupt incidents continue to occur…” He also emphasized the need for officials to maintain a high degree of alignment with the central government and to “do what they say.” Analysts believe that Xi’s remarks confirm the trend of increasing corruption despite anti-corruption efforts, hinting at disloyalty among subordinates, which is a rare public stance to take.
Xi Jinping delivered his speech at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on January 6, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. He reiterated the familiar refrain that “the situation in the fight against corruption remains severe and complex,” noting that “the existing corrupt practices have not been eradicated, and new incidents continue to occur…” He warned that any hesitation or slackness would constitute a subversive error.
According to Radio France, does this not mean that not only has existing corruption not been eradicated, but new instances of corruption are still on the rise? Does Xi Jinping acknowledge that the 12-year-long anti-corruption campaign has failed? If corruption has been fought for 12 years and still persists, could the situation worsen? Could a subversive problem arise inadvertently? The fact that the “existing stock” has not been cleared and the “incremental corruption” continues seems to be a footnote to the dangerous situation described by Xi Jinping.
Interestingly, in 2015, during his third year in control of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping used the phrase “corruption and anti-corruption are in a stalemate” in his address, which was interpreted at the time as facing resistance in struggles against factions such as the Jiang faction and the Youth League faction. However, by the time of the fifth plenum of the 18th Central Committee in 2016, Xi Jinping declared that the “overwhelming trend in the fight against corruption is taking shape.” At the sixth plenum in 2017, the statement was further refined to “the overwhelming trend has formed.” During the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping declared that the “overwhelming trend has formed and been solidified and developed.” After amending the constitution in 2018 to remove term limits for the president, paving the way for his re-election, Xi Jinping announced during a Politburo meeting that the anti-corruption campaign had achieved an “overwhelming victory and fully solidified and developed.”
However, following the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi’s allies have taken full control, and yet Xi now claims that new instances of corruption are still occurring.
In 2024 alone, dozens of senior and former senior officials of military-industrial enterprises were investigated, with two defense ministers being expelled from the party and military positions. On November 28, 2024, the Ministry of National Defense of the Communist Party of China announced that General Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and director of the Political Work Department of the Military Commission, was suspended from duty pending investigation for “serious violations.” Miao Hua is a typical confidant of Xi Jinping.
According to CCTV’s News Broadcast, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong, who comes from the aerospace system, was absent from the CCDI meeting on January 6. Four generals, including Army Commander Li Qiaoming, former Army Political Commissar Qin Shutong, Navy Political Commissar Yuan Huazhi, and Armed Police Commander Wang Chunning, who were absent from the promotion ceremony last month, were also nowhere to be seen.
In this rare mention at the meeting, Xi emphasized the need for officials to maintain a high degree of alignment with the central government and to “do what they say.” Current affairs commentator Li Lin told Epoch Times that this implies that many officials say one thing but do another, showing disloyalty to Xi. Xi is surrounded by so-called “two-faced individuals.” Even prominent military figures like Zhang Youxia, who wield actual military power, may only be paying lip service to Xi while pursuing their own interests, effectively possibly undermining Xi’s authority.
Xi also stated that corruption is the biggest threat the party faces, and that “anti-corruption is the most thorough self-revolution.”
Yuan Hongbing, a scholar familiar with the internal affairs of the Chinese Communist Party, stated to Epoch Times on January 1, 2025, that the authorities’ mass cleansing of the party, government, and military, ostensibly due to corruption and living issues, is actually largely due to political disloyalty, disloyalty to Xi Jinping. “The trusted aides handpicked by Xi Jinping are surprisingly disloyal to him.” Xi Jinping is now killing the chicken to warn the monkey. To address the current economic crisis, he needs to “turn the knife inward” and conduct a “self-revolution,” which means Xi Jinping wants the Communist Party to reform itself.