Xi Purges One Million Officials in 2025, Anti-Corruption Campaigns Cause Systemic Paralysis

In early 2026, Beijing released figures claiming that the Communist Party's disciplinary system punished a record number of individualsover the previous year.

On the eve of the rollout of the country's 15th five-year plan, Chinese President Xi Jinping has decided to intensify anti-corruption efforts targeting finance and state enterprises. This anti-corruption campaign, first launched when Xi consolidated power in late 2012, shows no signs of abating after thirteen years. Instead, it has intensified alongside the centralization of power and has evolved beyond fighting corruption into a continuous purge aimed at reinforcing loyalty to Xi's policy.​​

According to official data, 2025 saw disciplinary actions reach historic heights, with 983,000 individuals punished—a 10.6% increase from 2024 and the highest figure since the Party began releasing such data two decades ago. ​

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There are mixed feelings within the Communist Party about the efficacy of thesecontinuous purges, with many within the higher echelons of power acknowledging that they drive many officials to adopt the mindset of "do nothing, make no mistakes" out of self-preservation, fostering bureaucratic inertia precisely when China needs greater local vitality to overcome economic challenges. 

However, many senior officials arethemselves also targets, withanti-corruption purges across finance, healthcare, defense, and state enterprises toppling dozens of high-ranking officials, executives, and commanders over the past three years.

Most notably, the expulsion of Central Military Commission Vice Chairman He Weidong in October 2025 and a recently launched investigation into Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia - both of whom were considered loyalists to Xi - have shattered the impression that anybody within the Party enjoys immunity. Another Politburo member and former regional leader, Ma Xingrui, has also missed multiple high-level meetings in recent months, sparking widespread speculation about his political fate. 

In tandem with these efforts,  state broadcaster CCTV aired a four-part documentary last week detailing several such high-ranking corruption cases, interviewing fallen officials to describe how they were influenced by businesses through several forms of "hidden" corruption, such as performing favors while in office to collect payment after retirement.

As a result of these continued purges, the Politburo's core power circle has shrunk, with a 90% participation rate at a recent disciplinary hearing being the lowest recorded attendance since 1986. The Wall Street Journalnotes that many absentees were senior military officers, suggesting that the Party will intensify anti-corruption efforts in the defense sector.   （Related： Japanese Prime Minister Stakes Tenure on Retaining Coalition Majority in High-Stakes Lower House Election ｜ Latest ）

While Xi emphasizes he upholds a "zero tolerance" policy towards all types of corruption, balancing demands for loyalty with bold economic reforms will remain a major test for the Party.