Anti-Corruption Campaigns
How Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive became the largest political purge since Mao, whether it genuinely reduces corruption or primarily eliminates political rivals, and the new supervision system it created.
The Scale of the Campaign
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign, launched in 2012, is unprecedented in scale. By 2024, over 4.7 million officials had been punished, ranging from low-level village cadres to members of the Politburo Standing Committee. The campaign has targeted what Xi calls 'tigers and flies,' high-ranking officials and grassroots corruption alike. Notable 'tigers' include former security chief Zhou Yongkang, former Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai, and former Politburo Standing Committee member Sun Zhengcai.
The campaign has been popular with the Chinese public, who experienced routine corruption in everyday interactions with government officials, from hospital admissions to school enrollment. Public extravagance by officials has visibly decreased. Luxury goods sales to government clients collapsed. The campaign addressed a genuine governance problem that the Party recognized as an existential threat to its legitimacy.