Eight-point rules of the CPC seen as valuable experience in combating graft

The eight-point rules introduced by the central leadership of the Communist Party of China have enhanced the Party's governance, further strengthened the people's trust and support for the Party and offered a reference for other countries, a Pakistani senator said.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of Pakistan's Senate Defense Committee, said, "The hallmark of President Xi Jinping's leadership has been decisive action of a doer who delivers."

The eight-point decision on improving work conduct is a set of rules to combat bureaucratic excess and corruption and improve the work conduct of government and Party officials.

It was issued by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee two weeks after Xi was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in late 2012.

Succinctly outlined in just over 600 words, the eight-point rules provide clear guidelines for Party leaders on research tours, meetings, documentation and other official duties.

Sayed, who is also chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, pointed out that he had visited China when there were "huge, long, lavish" banquets.

"Now, that culture of extravagance has changed," he said.

All these changes have taken place under Xi's leadership and the code of conduct, he added.

The CPC has taken actions to combat corruption, enforce discipline and deliver people-centered development, Sayed said, adding that these efforts to ensure good and clean governance have further strengthened the ties between the Party and the people.

"The CPC and the people of China are now more closely united, with people having greater confidence in their leadership, which has succeeded in promoting substance over semantics, eliminating extravagance, promoting efficiency and slashing formalism and bureaucratic behavior of officials," said Sayed, who is also co-chairman of International Conference of Asian Political Parties.

It has also helped China earn an international reputation, Sayed said. "Most important, the credibility of such governance is enhanced when the world realizes that China means what it says, as decisions are implemented in a timely manner."

In March, the CPC launched a four-month campaign to urge its around 100 million members to further commit to the eight-point rules, which have already shown tangible results in cleaning up bureaucracy and ensuring effective governance.

Data revealed that in 2024, nearly 600,000 cases of unhealthy practices and corruption were investigated and addressed. Nationwide, authorities tackled nearly 92,000 cases of formalism and bureaucratism in the first 11 months of the year.

Sayed also praised the eight-point rules for offering valuable lessons for countries facing challenges related to corruption and inefficient bureaucracy.

"Accountability is the basis of good governance and efficient administration, and President Xi has led by example in this regard," he said. "Nobody is above the law, and violations of the law will not go unpunished, irrespective of the rank and status of officials."