Xi Jinping recently vows unrelenting graft-busting

Ahead of the CCDI watchdog meeting. And CEFC's Ye Jianming bribed Hu Huaibang of China Development Bank.

Attentive China watchers will notice that two weeks into the year 2022, three high-level officials, typically dubbed “tigers” and understood as in the ranking of above the vice provincial/ministerial level, have been put under discipline probes.

They are 张永泽 Zhang Yongze, vice chairman of Tibet regional government, 王滨 Wang Bin, Party chief and chairman of China Life Insurance (Group) Company, and 刘宏武 Liu Hongwu, vice chairman of Guangxi regional government.

At the beginning of the year that will later see the paramount 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the future direction of the anti-corruption drive that’s been a hallmark under General Secretary Xi Jinping for a decade is being rigorously watched.

From Tuesday to Thursday (Jan. 18 to Jan. 20, 2022)., the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) 中央纪委, the top Party discipline watchdog which also doubles as National Supervisory Commission 国家监委, will hold its sixth plenary session. Key speeches and communique from the plenary session will certainly send signals.

But before that, this newsletter features translations of parts of two speeches - unveiled very recently - from Xi, in which he made it abundantly clear that the unprecedented corruption-busting will continue in full force.

You will see some phrases are repeatedly mentioned, including 刀刃向内 turn the blade inward, indicating, in his own words in another speech, to 清除侵蚀党的健康肌体的病毒 remove the virus that erodes the healthy body of the Party. The crackdown on corruption is deemed an important part of the Party’s 自我革命 self-reform and graft-busting is 永远在路上 always on the road - never-ending.

The following paragraph is from the readout of Xi’s address [Chinese] at the 开班式 opening of 省部级主要领导干部学习贯彻党的十九届六中全会精神专题研讨班 a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, attended by major provincial and ministerial-level officials. (The emphasis is by Pekingnology.)

习近平强调，在百年奋斗历程中，党领导人民取得一个又一个伟大成就、战胜一个又一个艰难险阻，历经千锤百炼仍朝气蓬勃，得到人民群众支持和拥护，原因就在于党敢于直面自身存在的问题，勇于自我革命，始终保持先进性和纯洁性，不断增强创造力、凝聚力、战斗力，永葆马克思主义政党本色。这次全会决议对百年奋斗历程中党高度重视管党治党、不断推进自我革命作了全面总结。注重分析和总结党在百年奋斗历程中对自我革命的研究和把握，是贯穿全会决议的一个重要内容，我们一定要深入学习、全面领会。在新的历史条件下，要永葆党的马克思主义政党本色，关键还得靠我们党自己。在为谁执政、为谁用权、为谁谋利这个根本问题上，我们的头脑要特别清醒、立场要特别坚定。全党同志都要明大德、守公德、严私德，清清白白做人、干干净净做事，做到克己奉公、以俭修身，永葆清正廉洁的政治本色。自我革命关键要有正视问题的自觉和刀刃向内的勇气。现在，反腐败斗争取得了压倒性胜利并全面巩固，但全党同志要永葆自我革命精神，增强全面从严治党永远在路上的政治自觉，决不能滋生已经严到位的厌倦情绪。党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争永远在路上，一刻也不能放松，要以抓铁有痕、踏石留印的坚韧和执着，继续打好党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争这场攻坚战、持久战。不论谁在党纪国法上出问题，党纪国法决不饶恕。

Xi Jinping stressed that in the course of a century of endeavors, the Party has led the people to achieve great achievements and overcome difficulties and obstacles, and is still vigorous after thousands of trials and tribulations, and has been enjoying the support of the people, because the Party dares to face its own problems, is brave to self-reform, always works to keep its nature of being progressive and pure, and constantly enhance the creativity, cohesion, and capacity, and always retain its essence of a Marxist party.

The Resolution of this plenary session gives a comprehensive summary of the Party's century-long endeavors in which the Party always attached great importance to the management and governance of the Party and its continuous promotion of self-reform. Stressing the analysis and summary of the Party's own study and grasp of self-reform during the century of endeavors is an important element throughout the Resolution, and we must study it in-depth and understand it comprehensively.

In the new historical conditions, to keep the Party's Marxist party identity, the key still depends on our Party itself.

On the fundamental questions that 为谁执政 for whom we are governing, 为谁用权 for whom we are using the power, and 为谁谋利 for whose benefit we are governing, our minds should be particularly clear and firm.

All Party comrades should be firm about beliefs, abide by public ethics, and be strict with personal virtues in private. They should be clean in their work and in their personal lives. They should serve the public while conducting self-restraint on personal issues, uphold frugality and self-improvement, and maintain a clean and honest political nature.

The key to self-reform is to have self-awareness in facing the problem and the courage to turn the blade inward. Now, the anti-corruption struggle has achieved an overwhelming victory and been consolidated comprehensively, but all Party comrades should always keep the spirit of self-reform, enhance the political consciousness that the strict self-governance of the Party is always on the road/never-ending. They must not breed the sentiment that the strict self-governance of the Party is already too strict.

Integrity-building and corruption-busting are always on the road/never-ending, and there is not a moment to relax. We must, in forceful steps and with tangible results, continue to fight the protracted war of integrity-building and corruption-busting. No matter who violates the Party discipline and law, the Party discipline and law will absolutely not forgive them.

Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee, on January 1st, 2022, published Xi’s speech [Chinese] 2021年11月11日在党的十九届六中全会第二次全体会议上的讲话 delivered on November 11, 2021, at the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China On the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party Over the Past Century.

The following paragraphs are from the speech. Note the multiple exclamation marks in the latter paragraphs. (The emphasis is by Pekingnology.)

党的十八大以来，我们党以前所未有的勇气和定力全面从严治党，打了一套自我革命的“组合拳”，形成了一整套党自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高的制度规范体系。针对“七个有之”等严重影响党的形象和威信、严重损害党群干群关系的突出问题，我们坚持严的主基调，强化监督执纪问责，抓住“关键少数”，党在革命性锻造中更加坚强。特别是我们党以猛药去疴、重典治乱的决心，以刮骨疗毒、壮士断腕的勇气，坚定不移“打虎”、“拍蝇”、“猎狐”，清除了党、国家、军队内部存在的严重隐患。世界上那么多执政党，有几个敢像我们党这样大规模、大力度、坚持不懈反腐败？有些人吹捧西方多党轮流执政、“三权鼎立”那一套，不相信我们党能够刀刃向内、自剜腐肉。中国共产党勇于自我革命的实践给了他们响亮有力的回答。

Since the 18th Party Congress, our Party has been governing the Party strictly with unprecedented courage and determination, playing a set of self-reform "combinations", forming a system of Party rules in self-purification, self-improvement, self-reform, and self-improvement. In response to the outstanding issues that seriously affect the image and prestige of the Party and seriously damage the relationship between the Party, its cadres, and the people, we emphasize being strict generally, strengthen supervision, discipline, and accountability, focus on the "key minority" [officials in key positions]. The Party has grown stronger in the process.

In particular, our Party, being firm in our determination and demonstrating great courage, took a heavy dose of medicine to treat a serious disease and applied stringent laws to address disorder. We unswervingly brought to justice "tigers" [high-level officials], "flies" [low-level officials], and "foxes" [criminal suspects fleeing China], cleared the serious hidden dangers off the Party, the country, and the PLA.

Of all the governing parties in the world, how many have dared to fight corruption on such a large scale, with such vigor and persistence as our Party? Some people tout the Western system of multi-party rule by rotation and the separation of the powers into three branches but do not believe that our Party can turn the blade inward and pluck out our own corrupt flesh. The Communist Party of China's courageous self-reform practice has given them a resounding and powerful answer.

我们党历经百年、成就辉煌，党内党外、国内国外赞扬声很多。越是这样越要发扬自我革命精神，千万不能在一片喝彩声中迷失自我。正所谓“不诱于誉，不恐于诽”。全党同志要永葆自我革命精神，增强全面从严治党永远在路上的政治自觉，决不能滋生已经严到位、严到底的情绪！从最近连续查处的大案要案看，党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争必须一刻也不放松抓、持之以恒抓！中央委员会的同志们、党的各级领导干部要保持头脑清醒，对全党的思想、组织、作风、廉洁等情况要有客观正确的认识和把握，以正视问题的勇气和刀刃向内的自觉推进党的自我革命。生了病就要及时医，该吃药就吃药，该开刀就开刀。不论什么问题，不论谁出问题，该出手时就出手，对腐败问题尤其要坚决查处，不断清除损害党的先进性和纯洁性的因素，不断清除侵蚀党的健康肌体的病毒。特别是对那些攫取国家和人民利益、侵蚀党的执政根基、动摇社会主义国家政权的人，对那些在党内搞政治团伙、小圈子、利益集团的人，要毫不手软、坚决查处！

Our Party has been through a century of glorious achievements and has received a lot of praise from both inside and outside the Party, as well as from home and abroad. The more so, the more we must carry forward the spirit of self-reform. We must not lose ourselves in a sound of applause. As the saying goes, “不诱于誉，不恐于诽” "neither tempted by praise nor afraid of slander".

All the Party comrades should always keep the spirit of self-reform and enhance the political consciousness that the comprehensive strict governance of the Party is always on the road, and must not breed the sentiment that the strict self-governance of the Party is already too much or will/can recede!

From a series of major cases that have been investigated and probed, the integrity-building and graft-busting must not relax for even a moment and must be carried on forward!

Comrades of the Central Committee and in leading positions at all levels must keep a clear and correct understanding of the Party's ideology, organization, style, integrity, and other situations and promote the Party's self-reform with the courage of facing problems head-on and the consciousness of turning the blade inward.

Whoever is sick must seek medical attention timely, if they need medicine then the medicine shall be taken, and if they need surgical operations then the surgical operation shall be performed. [A metaphor of dealing with corruption.]

No matter what kind of the problem they are, no matter who caused/are the problems, we must act promptly. Especially, corruption cases shall be investigated and dealt with resolutely, so as to constantly remove factors that undermine the Party's advancement and purity, and constantly remove the virus that erodes the healthy body of the Party.

Particularly, for those who steal the interests of the state and the people, erode the Party's governing base, shake the socialist state regime, and for those who engage in political gangs, “small circles”, and interest groups within the Party, we must not be soft, we must resolutely investigate and deal with them!

总之，在建党百年之际，我们要居安思危，时刻警惕我们这个百年大党会不会变得老态龙钟、疾病缠身。对党的历史上走过的弯路、经历的曲折不能健忘失忆，对中外政治史上那些安于现状、死于安乐的深刻教训不能健忘失忆；对自身存在的问题不能反应迟钝，处理动作慢腾腾、软绵绵，最终人亡政息！要以伟大自我革命引领伟大社会革命，以伟大社会革命促进伟大自我革命，确保党在新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的历史进程中始终成为坚强领导核心。

All in all, on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Party, we must be vigilant in times of peace and always be alert to whether our century-old Party will become old and diseased. We must not develop amnesia for or forget the detours and twists in the Party’s history, or the profound lessons of dying in the status quo and dying in peace that are documented throughout the Chinese and foreign political history.

We must not be slow to respond to our own problems. If we deal with them in a slow and limp way, the regime and its people will eventually expire! We should lead the great social revolution with the great self-reform, and promote the great self-reform with the great social revolution, so as to ensure that the Party will always stay the strong core of leadership in the historical process of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

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Lastly, China Central Television has begun broadcasting a five-episode corruption-busting series entitled 零容忍 Zero Tolerance on CCTV1 at prime time.

The first episode was broadcast on Saturday, Jan. 15, with exclusive details and jaw-dropping footage on the case of Sun Lijun, former vice minister of public security, and Hu Huaibao, former head of China Development Bank.

Hu was filmed admitting to taking bribes in the amount of “tens of millions of yuan” from Ye Jianming, founder and former Chairman of CEFC China Energy Company, for, among other things, approving a 4.8 billion USD credit line to CEFC. Ye had made international headlines for rising in rocket speed from complete obscurity to being an energy tycoon in the Fortune Global 500.

Pekingnology expects to bring you a translation of the Chinese language transcript shortly.

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