Xi Jinping intensifies anti-corruption campaign in China

A high-level anti-corruption crackdown in China has intensified, with Beijing Deputy Mayor Xia Linmao recently disappearing from public view. This follows a meeting last week where he encouraged Walmart CEO John Furner and other American companies to invest in the capital.

The purge has expanded to include a wide range of high-ranking officials, including former chief judges, intelligence chiefs, and numerous military generals. Data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) indicates that between 2012 and 2022, over 500 ministerial-level officials were investigated or removed. In the last three years alone, more than 410 officials have been purged.

This campaign, described by Xi Jinping as an ‘endless struggle’ against ‘hypocritical people’ within the party, has reached into previously untouchable sectors. The Central Military Commission has been significantly impacted, now consisting of only two members, one of whom is Xi himself. The crackdown comes as Xi prepares for a high-level meeting in Beijing and approaches a party congress where he is expected to secure a fourth term.