Chinese President says corruption remains biggest threat to Communist Party

CHINA: President Xi Jinping has said corruption in China remains severe and complicated, calling it a “tumour” and in a rare warning has also told the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) top leaders to “exercise stricter self-discipline”.

Xi urged improvement in the fight against corruption to guarantee that officials do not have the “audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption”.

Xi demanded a full victory in the anti-corruption campaign on Friday while addressing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on improving anti-corruption capability.

“The fight against corruption is a major political struggle that the party cannot afford to lose and should never lose because it concerns the people,” Xi said, according to state-controlled media.

In a rare warning to senior officials, Xi said cadres in higher positions and with greater power must exercise stricter self-discipline.

Xi said members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee – two of the top decision-making CPC bodies – “in particular must hold themselves to the highest standards of self-discipline, and take the lead among all party members in following the party’s dos and don’ts”.

The Chinese President launched an anti-corruption campaign soon after he became CPC General Secretary in 2012. More than one million officials have been jailed or arrested in the crackdown which began soon after he took over in 2012. – THE HINDUSTAN TIMES