BEIJING — President Xi Jinping stated that China's Communist Party must address internal issues of discipline, including corruption, by targeting both corrupt officials and those who enable them. Since assuming power over a decade ago, Xi has led a crackdown on corruption, targeting both high-ranking "tigers" and low-ranking "flies" who fail to enforce policies. However, corruption remains a persistent issue, especially within the armed forces. In the past two years, two former defense ministers have been expelled for "serious violations of discipline," a term for corruption.

Xi emphasized that the party must counter any interest group or privileged class that seeks to corrupt its members. He acknowledged that as the party faces new challenges, conflicts and problems will arise, and the party must confront them decisively to maintain vitality.

Xi’s call to "turn the knife inward" was part of a speech given during a meeting with the party's anti-graft watchdog in January, but the details were only released recently. This speech signals a renewed push to enforce discipline and crack down on officials who seek personal gain or lead others astray.

Last month, the defense ministry revealed that an admiral on the Central Military Commission, the top military body, was under investigation for serious discipline violations. In 2023, around 610,000 party officials were disciplined for breaches of party rules, including 49 officials at or above the vice minister or governor level, according to the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file