Is Chinese President XI Jinping’s Endeavor Really to Fight Corruption or Target Rivals?

More than a decade ago, China made fighting corruption a top national priority, viewing it as the foundation for achieving comprehensive governance by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

At a meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the country's top anti-corruption body, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that corruption is the biggest threat facing the party, stressing the importance of continuing this decisive and long-term battle to achieve Chinese-style modernization.

His anti-corruption push has ensnared a record number of senior officials for two straight years, and last month the government took the rare step of executing an official for his misdeeds.

However, Chinese human rights circles see the so-called ‘anti-corruption campaign’ launched by President Xi, since he took power in 2012, as a mere cover-up to eliminate his political opponents and potential rivals.

They also pointed out that this campaign paved the way two years ago for Xi to extend his presidency for a third term without any objection, despite this being in violation of the CCP's constitution.

It is noteworthy that the campaign did not stop at targeting leadership positions in political power, according to observers, but extended to include other sectors such as finance, energy, healthcare, sports and infrastructure projects.

Serious Threat

This week, the plenary sessions of the highest anti-corruption body in China began, which came with the announcement of the Chinese political leadership that its assessment of the anti-corruption scene confirms the urgent need for clarity and an iron fist on the dens of corruption and the corrupt.

The body pledged to double its efforts to combat corruption, as it specified its focus in areas such as state-owned companies.

A statement issued by the CCDI said that the year 2025 will witness accelerated efforts to impose discipline and combat corruption within the country and the CCP.

In another meeting held earlier in December, the Chinese leadership conducted an assessment of the current scene regarding combating corruption in the country, stressing the need for zero tolerance or leniency.

Xi launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign after taking leadership of the CCP in 2012. Since then, probes have been launched into more than 4 million members of the 99-million-strong party, spanning low-ranking officials to high-ranking tigers.

According to China’s top anti-corruption watchdog, 58 high-ranking officials have been investigated over the past year.

Of those investigated, 47 were at the vice-ministerial level or above, including Tang Renjian, former minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

In November, Miao Hua, a member of the five-person, Xi-led Central Military Commission, became the latest high-ranking official targeted. 

Prominent figures ensnared in the anti-corruption drive include former Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Even former high-ranking officials were not spared, such as Wang Yilin, who stepped down as chairman of state-owned China National Petroleum Corp in 2020.

Corruption Probes

China’s anti-corruption campaign has also intensified in sectors that affect people’s lives, such as healthcare and education.

A campaign launched in April 2024 saw 433,000 low-ranking officials punished, with 14,000 referred to trial.

In its efforts to track down corrupt fugitives, China has secured the return of 1,306 individuals who fled abroad and recovered illicit assets totaling 15.4 billion yuan (about $2.1 billion) between January and November 2024.

According to the National Supervisory Commission, more than 40,000 people were caught for corruption in the medical sector last year, including 350 senior officials.

A total of 52,000 corruption cases were identified and 2,634 individuals were referred to the public prosecution on various charges, including accepting bribes, fraud in the medical insurance sector, and manipulating appointment dates for financial gain.

In May 2024, He Zehua, former deputy chief of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes.

Sports is another key focus of the anti-corruption campaign. In May 2024, Gou Zhongwen, former head of the General Administration of Sport (GAS), was placed under investigation.  He was subsequently arrested in December last year on charges of bribery and abuse of power.

Several high-ranking sports officials stood trial in 2024, including Du Zhaocai, former deputy head of the GAS, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and Li Tie, former head coach of the national men's football team and a renowned former player, who received a 20-year sentence.

Presidential Tactic

Inside China, there does not seem to be much objection to this campaign, as many view it as a necessary measure to achieve military and economic stability in the country.

This move by the Chinese leadership is also seen as an attempt to limit any influence that may affect military policy, especially with the escalation of tensions in the South China Sea and competition with the United States.

On the other hand, some military analysts believe that this campaign may lead to leadership vacuums that may disrupt military operations in the short term, and raise questions about the readiness of the Chinese army to confront future crises.

Chinese human rights activists said that the main goal of the anti-corruption campaign personally supervised by the Chinese president is to eliminate his opponents and potential rivals for power.

They considered that expanding the scope of the campaign to include the health and sports sectors is merely a tactic or a cover to give the impression that the campaign is innocent and targets the corrupt and has nothing to do with eliminating the president’s political opponents, and consolidating his stay in power.

They also pointed to Xi’s expulsion from the CCP of two former defense ministers, and former Interpol director Meng Hongwei on corruption charges, as well as Li Gang, a senior discipline inspector.

Over a dozen top generals have been removed from their posts or placed under investigation since mid-2023. 

It is worth noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a decree in October 2023 dismissing former defense minister Li Shangfu. At the time, Beijing did not provide any explanation for the disappearance of its defense minister from the political and military scene for nearly two months, which sparked much speculation.

In June 2024, the CCP also decided to expel former defense minister Wei Fenghe from the party on the grounds of his serious violation of party discipline and violation of the law.

Shortly thereafter, it was announced in Beijing that the head of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, General Li Yuchao, had been dismissed, noting that this force is classified as one of the elite units that oversees China's nuclear and ballistic missiles.

Experts believe that the main goal behind the anti-corruption campaign within the ranks of the army is to strengthen loyalty to President Xi and prevent any potential resistance.