As of: January 19, 2024, 10:22 p.m
By: Christiane Kühl
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China launches new major campaign against corruption – banks, pharmaceuticals, state-owned companies and football in its sights © Maximilian Litzka/Dalle (AI-generated)
China's campaign against corruption in the military is underway, and President Xi Jinping has already set his sights on vulnerable sectors of the economy: "There is no going back, no letting up and no mercy."
China is already taking a tough approach against corrupt military officials: generals have been fired and the defense minister has also been replaced without comment.
A massive anti-corruption campaign is now underway in other areas.
At a recent plenary session of the Communist Party's feared Central Discipline Commission, state and party leader Xi Jinping personally called for more efforts in the fight against corruption in sectors such as finance and pharmaceuticals.
The anti-corruption fighters should primarily take action against secret agreements between government officials and business people, said Xi, according to a report by the Chinese business magazine
Caixin.
The disciplinary commission promptly issued a communiqué in which it announced investigations into the financial and pharmaceutical industries, but also into agriculture, sports, the tobacco industry and, more generally, into state-owned companies.
For example, it recently announced that Xu Wenrong, a former senior manager of state oil company China National Petroleum, had been expelled from the CCP for "serious violations of discipline and law."
This step is usually followed by legal proceedings against those concerned, in which little mercy can be expected.
At the beginning of every investigation, however, the discipline commission is the central actor in the fight against corruption.
In China, it is not primarily the state that takes action against corrupt officials, but rather the Communist Party that investigates itself and its own officials.
In the army, the department for purchasing weapons and equipment is currently looking for felt within its own ranks.
The sacked Defense Minister Li Shangfu was once their boss - but the suspicion is that he was not the only one involved in crooked business there.
Xi Jinping has seen the fight against corruption as a priority for years
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi Jinping has been cracking down on millions of “tigers and flies” – a synonym for high- and low-ranking officials.
He certainly achieved something, even if his campaign also removed political rivals from power.
On Transparency International's respected corruption index, China climbed from 80th to 65th place out of 180 countries between 2012 and 2022 - now on a par with Cuba and just ahead of Bulgaria and South Africa.
The campaign is also quite popular among the population: many people, especially in smaller cities and rural areas - which are less of the focus of the Beijing headquarters - suffer from corrupt local officials who shovel money into their own pockets instead of looking after infrastructure, to take care of schools and social issues in their community.
Years ago, press reports regularly revealed cases of cadres squandering millions of embezzled yuan in casinos in the Macau Special Administrative Region.
Macau was once a Portuguese colony and is the only place in China where gambling is permitted.
Others spent state money on feudal banquets with businessmen.
Banning such feasts in star hotels was one of the first measures in Xi's anti-corruption campaign.
The cadres no longer dare to go to Macau either.
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Xi: “No turning back” in the fight against corruption
Xi praised his campaign in front of the Discipline Commission that they had achieved an “overwhelming victory” against corruption.
“But the situation remains serious and complex.” China will deal with “hidden risks” in sectors where power and rich resources are concentrated, said Xi: “There is no turning back, no let-up and no mercy in fighting corruption. “
According to Reuters, the disciplinary commission last year investigated a record number of 45 top officials, including the central bank and state banks, such as the then head of the Bank of China, Liu Liange.
Liu fell over the corruption allegations.
According to
Caixin
, investigators also took action against more than 150 hospital directors nationwide in 2023.
China: With public shame against corruption
Public shaming plays a special role in all of this: in the annual TV documentaries about corrupt officials in sectors from high finance to football, they have to appear in person and regret their actions.
In a CCTV documentary about corruption investigations in football, the former director of the Chinese Football Association CFA, Chen Xuyuan, told how in 2019 he received 300,000 yuan (39,000 euros) each as “congratulations” from two club officials the night before his appointment as association head.
The men described these as “traditional rules of the game”.
Former national coach Li Tie admitted to bribing players.
“Corruption in Chinese football does not only exist in certain individual areas,” said association head Chen, who was convicted in September 2023, in the film.
“It's everywhere, in every single aspect.” As a football fan, Xi should be particularly annoyed by this.
He wants to help China achieve success in world football and one day host the World Cup.
But with a messy league, that's hardly possible.