CPC calls for confidence, perseverance in fight against corruption

The disciplinary body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for confidence and perseverance in the protracted war against corruption as the current situation remains grave and complex.

The call was made in a communique adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), held from Monday to Wednesday in Beijing.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the session and delivered an important speech.

The plenary session reviewed the discipline inspection and supervision work during 2024 and assigned tasks for 2025. It adopted a work report delivered by Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CCDI, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CCDI.

The attendees agreed that, under the guidance of Xi's speech, they will advance the fight against corruption with determination and work to eradicate the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption.

The year 2024 saw notable progress in disciplinary and supervisory work, the communique said. Hedonism and extravagance were targeted, while the practice of pointless formalities and bureaucratism were cracked down.

The campaign against corruption was enhanced in key areas such as finance, energy and sports. New types of corruption and hidden graft were exposed, and both bribers and the recipients of bribes were punished.

A total of 68 departments underwent regular disciplinary inspections in 2024, according to the communique.

The communique called for strengthened confidence in winning the tough battle against corruption. However, it also noted that the situation "remains grave and complex."

Regarding this year's work, the communique urged continued efforts to support Chinese modernization by strengthening political oversight, comprehensively deepening reform, and consolidating achievements in Party discipline education.

The communique called for improving the mechanism for investigating and addressing instances of both misconduct and corruption, with a focus on rectifying more covert forms of pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance, and targeting violations that seriously undermine market order or increase the burden on lower levels.

It vowed efforts to resolve difficulties in discovering new and covert forms of corruption, and in collecting evidence of and convicting such violations.

The communique said timely early warning and supervision procedures should be in place in cases where an official's spouse or child, or the spouse of an official's child, becomes involved in business operations in violation of regulations.

The communique stressed strong action to address misconduct and corruption occurring at people's doorsteps, to ensure that all people can benefit more fairly from the fruits of development.

Disciplinary inspections should be leveraged for more accurate problem-spotting and more effective solutions, the communique said, also stressing deepening the reform of the disciplinary inspection and supervision system.

The communique called for advancing the high-quality development of disciplinary inspection and supervision work on the new journey of the new era, and providing strong support for building China into a strong country and advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

Party and state leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting.