Chinese President and leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping has stressed the need for increased discipline and the eradication of corruption in the party. Xi said the party must "turn the knife inward" to remove officials involved in corrupt activities and those who corrupt them, BTA reports.
In a speech delivered at a meeting of the party's anti-corruption body in January but published recently, he renewed his call for strict enforcement of disciplinary measures.
The Battle Against „tigers“ and „flies“
Since taking office in 2012, Xi Jinping has launched a massive anti-corruption campaign, targeting both high-ranking government officials, known as "tigers," and lower-ranking officials, known as "flies."
- In the past two years, two former defense ministers have been dismissed from their posts for "serious disciplinary violations" - a term often used synonymously with corruption.
- The party remains faced with corruption challenges, especially in the armed forces, where the practice is most prevalent.
A new wave of anti-corruption action
According to Xi Jinping’s published speech, it is imperative for the party to tackle:
- Lobby groups and privileged class structures that distort party policies.
- Internal conflict problems, which Xi described as inevitable given the changing tasks facing the CCP.
Xi has called for swift countermeasures against groups that undermine party unity and discipline.
Statistics on party discipline
Data from the Central Commission for disciplinary inspection show:
- Last year, about 610,000 party officials were punished for disciplinary violations.
- Of these, 49 people held high-ranking positions such as vice ministers or provincial governors.
Xi Jinping has stressed the need for a vigorous fight against corruption to ensure the "energy and vitality" of the Chinese Communist Party. The new wave of anti-corruption measures aims not only to root out bad practices but also to consolidate party unity and stability at a time of growing challenges.