Xi's anti-Corruption Warning at Politburo's Democratic Life Meeting

Since 2015, the Politburo has been holding annual democratic life meetings at the end of the year. These meetings entail discussions on ideological and disciplinary issues, with senior Party members offering self-criticisms before Xi. Today’s People’s Daily’s front page covers the report on this year’s democratic life meeting.

Xi’s remarks about the need to prioritise “political cultivation,” for Politburo members to persist with lifelong learning, the seemingly endless nature of the anti-corruption campaign and the call for them to strengthen education of family members and surrounding staff are striking. It is quite a chilling message that is being sent to the Party elite about the sword that hangs above them.

The report says that:

From December 26 to 27, the Politburo held its annual democratic life meeting, deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The meeting focussed on consolidating and deepening the results of the Party discipline education campaign and comprehensively exerting the restraint and guarantee incentive role of party discipline education. It also focussed on taking the study and implementation of disciplinary regulations and implementation of the eight-point central regulations as important content for inspection. It also combined ideological understanding with actual work performance to conduct self-examination and Party spirit analysis, and carry out criticism and self-criticism. 中共中央政治局于12月26日至27日召开民主生活会，深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，围绕巩固深化党纪学习教育成果、综合发挥党的纪律教育约束和保障激励作用，把学习贯彻纪律处分条例、落实中央八项规定情况作为检查的重要内容，结合思想和工作实际进行自我检视、党性分析，开展批评和自我批评.

Xi Jinping presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. But before detailing Xi’s remarks, the report says:

Before the meeting, relevant departments made careful preparations. Politburo comrades had heart-to-heart talks with relevant responsible comrades, listened to opinions and suggestions, and wrote speech outlines. The meeting first heard reports on the Politburo’s implementation of the 8-point central regulation and on the work of reducing grassroots burden by rectifying formalism through the year. Politburo comrades spoke one by one, focusing on the meeting’s theme, conducting thorough self-examination in light of the ‘Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Chinese Communist Party’, ‘Several Regulations of the CCP Central Politburo on Strengthening and Maintaining the Central Party’s Centralised Unified Leadership’, and ‘Detailed Rules for the CPC Central Politburo’s Implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulations’, seriously identifying problems, deeply analysing, being frank and open-minded, meeting with candour and sincerity, in a serious yet lively atmosphere, achieving the expected results. 会前，有关方面做了认真准备。中央政治局同志同有关负责同志谈心谈话，听取意见建议，撰写发言提纲。会上，先听取关于2024年中央政治局贯彻执行中央八项规定情况的报告和关于2024年整治形式主义为基层减负工作情况的报告。中央政治局的同志逐个发言，围绕会议主题，对照《中国共产党纪律处分条例》、《中共中央政治局关于加强和维护党中央集中统一领导的若干规定》、《中共中央政治局贯彻落实中央八项规定实施细则》，认真查摆、深刻剖析，开诚布公、坦诚相见，气氛严肃活泼，收到预期效果.

The report says that the speeches by Politburo members made five points:

• First, more firmly safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralised and unified leadership;

• Second, more firmly pursuing the value of serving and benefiting the people;

• Third, more firmly implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee;

• Fourth, more firmly taking the lead in learning, knowing, understanding, and observing discipline; and

• Fifth, more firmly fulfilling the political responsibility of strict Party governance.

中央政治局同志的发言，聚焦5个重点。一是维护党中央权威和集中统一领导更加坚定；二是服务人民、造福人民的价值追求更加坚定；三是落实党中央决策部署更加坚定；四是带头学纪知纪明纪守纪更加坚定；五是履行从严管党治党政治责任更加坚定.

The meeting stressed that since the beginning of this year, in the face of challenges brought by domestic and international situations, the Party Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups in the country to calmly respond and adopt comprehensive measures to successfully complete the main goals and tasks of economic and social development, ensuring that Chinese-style modernisation advances through new and solid steps. People’s livelihood security has been solid and effective, the overall social situation remains stable, new achievements have been made in promoting the construction of socialist democracy and the rule of law, major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has created new situations, and comprehensive and strict governance of the Party has been deepened. These achievements are hard-won. 会议强调，今年以来，面对国内外形势带来的挑战，党中央团结带领全党全国各族人民，沉着应变、综合施策，顺利完成经济社会发展主要目标任务，中国式现代化迈出新的坚实步伐。民生保障扎实有力，社会大局保持稳定，推进社会主义民主法治建设取得新成效，中国特色大国外交开创新局面，全面从严治党向纵深推进。这些成绩来之不易.

Politburo comrades unanimously believe that the centralised unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core is the fundamental guarantee for doing all work well, ensuring that the ship of Chinese-style modernisation breaks waves and maintains steady progress. The whole Party must deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the four consciousnesses, strengthen the four self-confidences, and achieve the two safeguards’, and unswervingly implement the principles, policies and work arrangements of the Party Central Committee. Next year is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan; it is necessary to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, adhere to the general tone of work of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully and accurately implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, solidly promote high-quality development, further comprehensively deepen reform, expand high-level opening up, promote sustained economic recovery and improvement, continuously improve people's living standards, maintain social harmony and stability, unswervingly comprehensively and strictly govern the Party, and complete the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan with high quality, so as to lay a solid foundation for a good start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. 中央政治局的同志一致认为，以习近平同志为核心的党中央集中统一领导是做好一切工作的根本保证，确保中国式现代化航船乘风破浪、行稳致远。全党必须深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，坚定不移贯彻落实党中央方针政策和工作部署。明年是“十四五”规划收官之年，要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，全面贯彻党的二十大和二十届二中、三中全会精神，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，完整准确全面贯彻新发展理念，加快构建新发展格局，扎实推动高质量发展，进一步全面深化改革，扩大高水平对外开放，推动经济持续回升向好，不断提高人民生活水平，保持社会和谐稳定，坚定不移全面从严治党，高质量完成“十四五”规划目标任务，为实现“十五五”良好开局打牢基础.

Following this, the report details Xi’s remarks, who began commenting on the self-examination speech by each Politburo member, offering “specific requirements for each, and delivering a summary.” He then said that “this democratic life meeting of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee was very effective, achieving the purpose of exchanging ideas, examining problems, and clarifying directions, which is conducive to the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee to enhance unity, improve work, and fulfil its mission.” 习近平对中央政治局各位同志的对照检查发言一一点评、逐一提出要求，并进行了总结。他指出，这次中央政治局民主生活会开得很有成效，达到了交流思想、检视问题、明确方向的目的，有利于中央政治局增进团结、改进工作、担当使命.

Xi Jinping emphasised that this Party discipline study and education campaign had effectively solved some problems of Party members and cadres being indifferent, not understanding, and not mastering Party rules and discipline, promoted Party organizations and leadership groups at all levels to strictly manage Party discipline building, promoted the broad masses of Party members and cadres to consciously become loyal, clean, and responsible, achieving obvious results. The awareness of discipline and rules and the consciousness of integrity and self-discipline among the broad masses of Party members and cadres has been effectively enhanced, the endogenous motivation for taking responsibility and doing practical work has been further stimulated, the strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere have been further strengthened, and the effectiveness of rectifying formalism to reduce grassroots burden has been further demonstrated. 习近平强调，这次党纪学习教育着力解决了一些党员、干部对党规党纪不上心、不了解、不掌握等问题，推动各级党组织和领导班子从严抓好党的纪律建设，推动广大党员、干部自觉做到忠诚干净担当，取得明显成效。广大党员、干部的纪律规矩意识、廉洁自律意识切实增强，担当作为、干事创业的内生动力进一步激发，严的基调、严的措施、严的氛围进一步强化，整治形式主义为基层减负成效进一步彰显.

Xi Jinping noted that cultivating a strong Party spirit will naturally lead to more conscious observance of Party discipline and rules. Leading cadres must treat cultivating Party spirit and enhancing ideological consciousness as lifelong pursuits, living to old age, learning to old age, cultivating to old age. Political cultivation should be the top when it comes to Party spirit cultivation, and Party spirit should be nourished through the Party's innovative theories, and take learning, observing, and implementing Party constitution, Party rules, and Party discipline as important content of Party spirit cultivation. Politburo comrades must adhere to strictly requiring themselves to measure up to the standards of Marxist politicians, take the lead in studying the Party’s innovative theory, take the lead in implementing democratic centralism, take the lead in carrying out criticism and self-criticism, take the lead in strictly observing Party discipline and rules, take the lead in promoting the Party’s fine traditions and work style, truly achieving ideological beliefs as firm as rock, absolute loyalty to the Party, and selfless dedication to the cause of the Party and people. 习近平指出，党性修养好、党性坚强，遵守党纪就会更加自觉。领导干部要把锤炼党性、提高思想觉悟作为终身课题，活到老、学到老、修养到老。要把政治修养摆在党性修养的首位，从党的创新理论中汲取党性滋养，把学习遵守贯彻党章党规党纪作为党性修养的重要内容。中央政治局的同志要坚持以马克思主义政治家的标准严格要求自己，带头学习党的创新理论，带头执行民主集中制，带头开展批评和自我批评，带头严格遵守党的纪律和规矩，带头弘扬党的优良传统和作风，真正做到理想信念坚如磐石，对党赤胆忠诚，为党和人民事业忘我奉献.

Xi Jinping emphasised that Party discipline has both an educational and restraining function, as well as a guarantee and incentivising role. Party discipline and doing practical work are internally unified. Discipline not only clarifies the bottom line and boundaries that cannot be touched, but also provides a code of conduct for Party members and cadres to do things cleanly and boldly. If you abide by the rules and disciplines, you will have full freedom and broad space to do things and be entrepreneurial. Politburo comrades should set benchmarks and set examples. They should not only become models of abiding by discipline and rules and doing practical work, but also establishing clear orientation, supporting and encouraging those who dare to take responsibility, fostering a dynamic atmosphere of striving forward with determination and competing for progress. 习近平强调，党的纪律既有教育约束功能，又有保障激励作用。党的纪律和干事创业是内在统一的。纪律既明确了不能触碰的底线和边界，也为党员、干部干净干事、大胆干事提供了行动准绳。遵规守纪，就会拥有干事创业的充分自由和广阔空间。中央政治局的同志要树标杆、作示范，不仅要成为遵规守纪、干事创业的模范，而且要树立鲜明导向，为敢于担当作为者撑腰鼓劲，推动形成锐意进取、奋勇争先的生动局面.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Party discipline draws bottom lines and sets forbidden zones for correctly exercising power and preventing the abuse of power for personal gain, serving as a safety guardrail for Party members and cadres to maintain integrity and honesty. Revering discipline and observing discipline enables one to resist corrosion and be immune to all poisons. As long as the soil and conditions that breed corruption still exist, the anti-corruption struggle will always be ongoing. We must remain extremely clear-headed and resolute in the fight against corruption, and never slacken or hesitate. Politburo comrades shoulder heavy responsibilities and must be more strict with themselves and be extremely cautious with the power they command. It is necessary to focus on strengthening the Party work style and clean governance construction in the areas under one’s supervision or regions under one’s leadership, resolutely fight against various unhealthy trends and corruption phenomena, and strengthen the education and management of family members and surrounding staff. 习近平指出，党的纪律为正确行使权力、防止以权谋私划出了底线、设置了禁区，是党员、干部保持清正廉洁的安全防护栏。敬畏纪律、遵守纪律，就能抵御腐蚀、百毒难侵。只要滋生腐败的土壤和条件仍然存在，反腐败斗争就永远在路上。对反腐败斗争形势要异常清醒、态度要异常坚决，决不能松懈，决不能手软。中央政治局的同志肩负重任，必须更加严格要求自己，对手中的权力要慎之又慎。要抓好分管领域或主政地方的党风廉政建设，坚决同各种不正之风和腐败现象作斗争，加强对家人和身边工作人员的教育管理.

Xi Jinping stressed that strictly enforcing and maintaining Party discipline is the common responsibility of the whole Party. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels must assume the main responsibility, Party organisation secretaries must perform the duties of the first responsible person, and other members of the leading group must perform ‘one post, two responsibilities,’ with each level leading the next, and ensure that the Party’s discipline construction continuously achieves new results. Politburo comrades must earnestly shoulder the political responsibility for the Party’s discipline construction, understand discipline construction situations in their supervising fields or governing localities in a timely and comprehensive manner, dare to manage and address problems within their scope of responsibilities with strict governance They have no choice but to be the leaders, executors, and dutifully serve as leaders, implementers, and promoters of strengthening Party discipline construction. 习近平强调，严格执行和维护党的纪律，是全党的共同责任。各级党委（党组）要承担好主体责任，党组织书记要履行好第一责任人职责，其他领导班子成员要履行好“一岗双责”，一级带一级，推动党的纪律建设不断取得新成效。中央政治局的同志要切实担负起党的纪律建设的政治责任，及时全面了解分管领域或主政地方纪律建设情况，对职责范围内的问题要敢管敢治、严管严治，责无旁贷当好加强党的纪律建设的领导者、执行者、推动者.

Xi Jinping finally emphasised that next year's reform, development, and stability tasks are very heavy, leading cadres at all levels must go deep into the grassroots and masses, strengthen investigation and research, figure out the urgent difficulties and anxieties of the people, figure out prominent problems urgently needing solution at the grassroots level, and study to solve them in a targeted manner. 习近平最后强调，明年改革发展稳定任务十分繁重，各级领导干部要深入基层、深入群众，加强调查研究，弄清楚人民群众的急难愁盼，弄清楚基层亟待解决的突出问题，有针对性地研究加以解决.