Crackdown on excess helps reshape China

Starting small to crack hard nuts

Fighting corruption is no easy task. By starting with officials' indulgence in lavish banquets — a visible symbol of excess and privilege — Xi made a strategic first strike that addresses public discontent.

Even mooncakes were put in the spotlight. A traditional treat during the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes had, at the height of the bribe-giving culture, morphed into a convenient cover for bribery.

Xi applauded the graft-busters' attention to mooncakes. "Targeting mooncakes may seem trivial, but it's actually about tackling the corruption hidden behind such practices," he said.

Observers describe Xi's strategy as tackling issues one by one, making steady progress. By targeting seemingly small matters such as the misuse of public funds for mooncakes, greeting cards, fireworks and so on, the effort moved from simple to complex, gradually making breakthroughs.

To add more weight to the eight-point rules, the Party's top disciplinary watchdog regularly names and shames violators and announces the punishments they receive to deter others.

Such measures serve not only as punishment but also as a wake-up call, pulling offenders back before minor infractions spiral into more serious wrongdoing or even criminal acts.

In a decade, about 1.1 million people were reminded, reprimanded, or punished for violating the rules.

Xi's decision to target misconduct was a well-thought-out move. With misconduct and corruption stemming from the same root, the rules represented a decisive first blow at the heart of the problem.

After assuming the top position, Xi launched an unprecedented anti-corruption storm that has swept every corner of public office, netting both high-flying "tigers" and lower-level "flies." Some of the most senior officials — including former members of the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee, top military brass, and retirees who left their leading positions years ago — have been brought to justice.

Fully aware that corruption is an issue the people resent most, Xi said: "If we don't offend a few thousand corrupt officials, we'll fail 1.4 billion Chinese people."

An overwhelming victory had been achieved, but Xi warned that the fight against corruption and misconduct would never end.

Indeed, new forms of practices dodging the eight-point rules have continuously emerged. Some officials tried to bypass hotels and restaurants to indulge in luxury in private villas and secluded rural retreats. A few even sought extravagance abroad.

Xi used a metaphor to emphasize the long-term nature of improving conduct: "Just as a room needs regular cleaning, the dust in our minds must be cleared away regularly."

At times, he was more direct, saying that "if 10 years aren't enough, then 20 years; if 20 years aren't enough, then 30 years."