Why China's anti-corruption drive never stops

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Thursday to review discipline inspection work and set priorities for 2026, signaling once again that China's fight against corruption will neither pause nor retreat.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. This year, in attending major meetings and making inspection tours, Xi has repeatedly emphasized that improving the Party's working style, strengthening clean governance and combating corruption is a journey without end.

The meeting underlined its uncompromising stance, reiterating its commitment to making unremitting efforts to advance full and rigorous Party self-governance with higher standards and more effective measures, to provide a strong guarantee for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

This framework sits at the core of Xi's thinking on exercising strict Party self-governance and reflects a broader principle he has reiterated: "China's success hinges on the Party, so we must ensure that the Party practices strict self-governance in every respect."

The meeting reaffirmed the need to consolidate implementation of the CPC's "eight-point decision" on improving Party and government conduct, making official behavior more standardized and institutionalized.

The "eight-point decision" is a set of rules adopted by the Party leadership in December 2012 to address chronic bureaucratic issues, including official privileges and extravagant banquets. It set precise rules for research tours, meetings, official documentation and other duties, which were expanded to discipline all Party members to systematically improve conduct.

This approach stands in contrast with governance models in the West. As John Ross, a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, observed, "The regulation clearly shows the difference between China's approach to dealing with corruption and the absence of such mechanisms in the Western system. It's enough to look at how China's rules extend from major issues down to details such as official meals and business trips to see the complete difference in approach."

Xi himself has set an example. During his over 100 domestic inspections since the 18th CPC National Congress, he has consistently eschewed special arrangements, instead opting to follow local customs and minimize disruption to local residents. 

Three days after the "eight-point decision" was issued, Xi visited Guangdong Province in south China. He declined the option of staying in a presidential suite, choosing instead to stay in a standard suite at a hotel. At the hotel, Xi opted for a simple buffet and finished his meal in less than 20 minutes. 

Anti-corruption for the people

Xi has emphasized that "when ordinary people judge the construction of Party conduct, they don't primarily look at how many meetings were held, how many speeches were given, or how many documents were issued, but at what problems were solved."

For the Chinese president, the anti-corruption campaign ensures that power entrusted to the Party is used to serve the people.

Thursday's meeting called for continued efforts to tackle misconduct and corruption that directly affect people's lives, achieving results that are tangible and felt by the public.

Tangible results underline this commitment. In northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a data-based oversight model has exposed misappropriation of vocational training subsidies. In Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, strengthened supervision now protects food safety and funding management in primary and secondary schools. Across the country, reforms are improving oversight of elderly-care resources and medical assistance, ensuring that public funds reach those who need them most.