The Unstoppable Momentum Of China’s Anti-Corruption Campaign

Corruption has long plagued governance systems, but few have waged a campaign against it as sweeping and relentless as Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive in China. What began in 2012 as a promise to restore public faith in the Communist Party of China (CCP) has since grown into a massive effort that has touched nearly every corner of Chinese society. The question at hand is: what are the tangible outcomes of this prolonged campaign, and how has it reshaped the nation's fabric?

Upon assuming leadership in 2012, Xi Jinping announced his plan to eradicate corruption and safeguard the CCP’s legitimacy through any measures possible pledging to target both "tigers" and "flies" (higher and lower ranking officials respectively) and thus signifying a commitment to prosecute high-ranking officials and low-level bureaucrats alike. 

The campaign was spearheaded by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which became the driving force behind investigations, disciplinary measures, and public prosecutions. The campaign utilised “shuanggui”, a disciplinary mechanism that allowed investigators to detain officials for questioning outside the normal legal framework and subsequently faced criticism for alleged abuses, including coerced confessions. In 2018, it was replaced by “liuzhi”, a more regulated system introduced under the National Supervision Commission to expand anti-corruption efforts beyond Party members to state-owned enterprises and public institutions. Since its implementation and until the end of 2023 more than 5 million people have been investigated, including a high number of active and retired high-ranking officials.

The initiative has swept across all sectors from the political sphere to the military, finance, and other social institutions. One of the earliest and most prominent cases was Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee and, at one point, one of China’s most powerful men. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for bribery, abuse of power, and leaking state secrets. In the military, the campaign dismantled networks of corruption within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including the downfall of Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong in 2016, both former vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission. In the business sector officials like Lai Xiaomin, the former chairman of China Huarong Asset Management, were prosecuted for massive embezzlement schemes, with Lai ultimately receiving a death sentence. Even the sports world was not spared with investigations into Chinese football uncovering widespread corruption and resulting in the removal of top officials and the suspension of multiple players.

The year 2024 concluded with a record-breaking 56 senior officials, all at or above the vice-ministerial rank, including individuals from the military’s Rocket Force and financial regulators, facing prosecution. In fact, financial corruption emerged as a central focus of the campaign's success, with the CCDI intensifying its scrutiny of state-owned enterprises and regulators. A surprising target for many was Tang Shuangning, the former chairman of China Everbright Group, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

When considering the broader impact of the campaign, it is clear that Chinese society and governance have been profoundly affected in both positive and negative ways. Many ordinary citizens view the campaign positively for trying to tackle systemic corruption and hold officials accountable for the misuse of public funds and abuses of power. As a result, the initiative has helped restore public confidence in the party, though some doubt this since it's hard to gauge a policy’s popularity in a country that generally does not allow open criticism. However, it has also fostered a culture of fear among officials, many of whom now hesitate to make decisions or implement reforms for fear of being accused of misconduct, which in turn has led to fragmented bureaucracy and less effective governance. The economic consequences should not be overlooked either. The purges of top executives in state-owned enterprises and financial institutions have been followed by the appointment of leaders who consistently deliver worse results  due to the increased fear of taking risks. 

Xi Jinping shows no signs of slowing down in 2025. Instead, the anti-corruption campaign is expected to expand, with a growing focus on areas like healthcare and energy sectors. However, Xi has also signalled a more measured approach, urging officials to avoid a “one-size-fits-all” mentality and assuring them that honest mistakes made during the course of their duties would not lead to punishment. Regardless of what the future holds, the campaign has already left a significant mark on China and, ultimately, only time will tell if a balance can be struck between the strict enforcement of the campaign and the cultivation of a more proactive governance culture.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/ Dong Fang (Voice of America)

Licence: public domain.

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