Anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping

A nationwide Chinese Communist Party campaign launched after Xi Jinping became general secretary, targeting official corruption through investigations, prosecutions, and party discipline.

Central Commission for Discipline Inspection: The Chinese Communist Party’s highest internal body for enforcing party discipline and investigating misconduct. It led the campaign’s internal investigations and disciplinary cases.
Zhou Yongkang: A former Chinese security chief sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption, abuse of power, and intentional disclosure of state secrets. His 2015 conviction broke with the norm of shielding a former Politburo Standing Committee member from prosecution.
Rule of law in China: The role of legal rules and institutions in governing China, where the CCP retains leadership over the state and judiciary. Party-led discipline differs from enforcement through institutions independent of political leadership.
Corruption in China: The misuse of public authority for private or political gain within China’s institutions and society. The campaign addressed a persistent problem whose scale is difficult to measure independently.
National Supervisory Commission: China’s national state supervisory body, established in 2018 to oversee public officials and investigate misconduct. It brought state supervisory powers into a system closely coordinated with party discipline.
Bo Xilai: A former Chongqing party chief sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 for bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power. His downfall preceded the campaign and became a landmark case in elite accountability.
Factionalism in the Chinese Communist Party: Competition among informal networks and interest groups within the CCP’s formally unified political structure. Analysts debate whether enforcement also weakened rival elite networks.
Political legitimacy in China: The perceived rightfulness of the CCP’s rule among citizens and elites in China. Visible punishment of officials can bolster legitimacy, while arbitrary enforcement can weaken it.
Shuanggui: A former CCP disciplinary procedure requiring investigated members to appear at a designated time and place. It was used in party investigations before the creation of the formalized liuzhi system.
Ling Jihua: A former senior CCP official sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016 for bribery, abuse of power, and illegally obtaining state secrets. His case extended investigations into the networks around senior party leaders.

Linked from 1 page

Xi JinpingBroader topic: It removed officials across the hierarchy while reinforcing central party discipline.