Xi stresses the need to win the fight against corruption in China

By Shi Bu and Liz Lee

BEIJING, Jan 12 (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping on Monday said China's anti-corruption fight was a battle the country cannot lose, striking a firmer tone in a long-term drive to tackle the graft that has plagued many parts of ​Chinese society.

Beijing's "high-pressure campaign" in recent years has led to many high-profile investigations, reflecting Xi's more than decade-long drive to root out corruption ‌and enforce discipline in the ruling Communist Party.

The arrests last year ranged from the former securities regulator chief Yi Huiman, the ex-chairman of China Eastern Airlines Liu Shaoyong, to nine top ‌military leaders, including the country's No.2 general He Weidong.

The fight against corruption remains "severe and complex," Xi said at the start of a three-day plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog, while calling for an "unwavering high-pressure stance."

"Corruption is a roadblock and stumbling stone to the Party and nation's development. The fight against corruption is a major battle that we cannot afford to lose and must not lose," Xi was quoted as saying in a readout ⁠from the state news agency Xinhua.

A record number of ‌65 high-ranking officials, dubbed "tigers", were probed last year, up from 58 in 2024, CCDI said in early January, with the list expanding from senior government officials to former leaders of universities and state-owned enterprises.

Apart from major officials, China's campaign has ‍also targeted overseas fugitives and tackled grass-roots corruption among lower-ranking officials, who the government calls "flies", as Beijing expands scrutiny to more sectors and industries.

DISGRACED MINISTER

China will continue to focus its corruption crackdown on preventing misconduct from escalating into graft, the state broadcaster CCTV said in a documentary series highlighting the crimes of a disgraced former minister.

The first ​episode of the CCTV-produced series titled "Unwavering in Our Resolve, Unyielding in Our Step" aired on Sunday, a day before the anti-graft watchdog meeting.

The video showcased ‌former Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian, who was convicted and sentenced for bribery last September, detailing his lavish banquets, entertainment and family benefits as some rural projects he was involved in were mostly abandoned.

Tang expressed remorse during his video appearance, clad in a plain black T-shirt.

"Whether it was eating and drinking in violation of regulations or having fun, I was constantly thinking about such things at that time," he said.

"In fact, in the end, it wears down your will," said Tang, who received a suspended death sentence after admitting to taking bribes worth more than 268 million yuan ($38 million).

The documentary also gave examples of ⁠an official from the central province of Henan who died of excessive alcohol consumption ​after a banquet in March, held against party rules, and two grass-roots officials who exploited ​weaknesses in China's pension fund system to embezzle funds.

Last year, revised austerity regulations targeting Communist Party members and public sector workers banned lavish banquets, "white-elephant" infrastructure projects, luxurious car fittings and ornamental plants in work meetings.

Xi said on Monday that China must promote ‍the anti-corruption efforts with stronger determination and ⁠find innovative ways to tackle any new trends of corruption.

China's redoubled graft campaign may have led to the arrests of many officials, but concerns remain of a lack of sufficiently strong and sustainable institutional arrangements to curb corruption in the long-term, said Alfred Wu, of the ⁠Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

"Although disciplinary committees appear powerful, their limited institutional independence may constrain their ability to effectively address corruption at the local level," he said.

Independent ‌oversight mechanisms may deliver more enduring success than a campaign-style approach, added Wu, an associate professor.

($1=6.9749 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Shi ‌Bu and Liz Lee; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Clarence Fernandez and Sharon Singleton)