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China Briefing | China’s Xi rose to power on his anti-corruption drive, but the fight’s grown more political – and it’s far from over
- Nearly 5 million members have been caught in the Communist Party’s anti-corruption dragnet over the past decade under Chinese President Xi Jinping
- Yet a decisive victory, and achieving the stated goal of ensuring officials ‘dare not, cannot and don’t want to’ be corrupt, still seem elusive
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If there were only one lens through which to interpret Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarkable rise over the past decade, then it would have to be his signature anti-corruption drive.
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Since he came to power in late 2012, Xi and his supporters have deftly combined this ruthless effort with a relentless ideological campaign aimed at consolidating power by crushing political rivals and strengthening control over all levels of society.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) – the Communist Party’s principal anti-corruption agency, which approves the punishment and expulsion of members – has over the past decade investigated and disciplined nearly 5 million high-ranking and grass-roots officials, or “tigers and flies” in party parlance.
At next month’s 20th party congress, Xi is widely expected to further solidify his power by securing a norm-busting third term as party chief and dominating a leadership shake-up that will most likely see more of his allies appointed to leading positions in party and state organs, including the CCDI.
But don’t expect any let up in the party’s anti-corruption efforts – Xi has repeatedly vowed as much and the campaign has, indeed, become one of the most effective tools to instil political compliance and loyalty among its 97 million members.
A ruthless political watchdog with a wide remit
We can glean some fascinating insights about the anti-corruption drive’s changing dynamics by taking a closer look at the CCDI’s announcements of its investigations into a number of senior officials.
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