CCP Widens Scope of Anti-Corruption Probes to Include Superstition and Excessive Debt

(CNA Taipei, June 18) -- Over 13 years since Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping launched a powerful anti-corruption campaign, it has gradually escalated into an iron-fisted movement aimed at strengthening political loyalty. The focus has shifted from officials' economic crimes to political misconduct such as disloyalty to the party, with increasingly diverse accusations, including engaging in superstitious practices and excessive borrowing.

Amidst the expanding scale of the anti-corruption drive, the Wall Street Journal reported that in 2025, disciplinary inspection and supervision organs of the CCP disciplined 983,000 people, nearing the 1 million mark, setting a record for a single year and more than five times the number disciplined in 2013, the first year Xi Jinping came to power.

According to the report, disciplinary action notices issued by the CCP's disciplinary inspection and supervision organs for over 940 high-ranking officials from 2013 to May of this year reveal the evolution of Xi Jinping's purge: from initial economic crimes and moral issues such as bribery, corruption, and adultery, to a broader scope of political misconduct, including defying Xi Jinping's instructions, forming factions, and undermining the authority of the central government.

This report mentioned that disciplinary action notices have now evolved into lengthy, morally condemnatory public denunciations, harshly criticizing officials for losing loyalty to the CCP. The accusations faced by fallen officials are increasingly diverse, ranging from excessive borrowing and failure to implement carbon reduction directives to engaging in "feudal superstitious" activities such as fortune-telling and praying to deities.

Among the more than 940 officials reported to have been disciplined, over 160 were cited for "participating in feudal superstitious activities" and "harboring superstitious thoughts," accounting for more than one-sixth. CCP state media has previously mentioned that such activities include praying to deities, fortune-telling, seeking advice from "masters" or psychics, and some investigated officials "do not believe in Marxism-Leninism but in ghosts and gods," praying to deities, and even indulging in feng shui. The CCP is an atheist party and explicitly prohibits party members from engaging in such behavior.

The report cited Bai Xueshan, former vice governor of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, who was investigated in November 2015, as an example. One of the main reasons for his disciplinary action was "long-term engagement in superstitious activities," and he lavishly spent funds to improve the feng shui of public buildings. A fountain in front of a municipal government square in Ningxia was repeatedly dismantled and rebuilt due to feng shui concerns. A retired local cadre stated that if a structure was not moved two or three meters, he felt it "blocked the feng shui."

Li Zaiyong, former vice governor of Guizhou Province, who was investigated in March 2023, was cited for reasons including "engaging in vanity projects and arbitrarily raising debt for financing." During his tenure as municipal party secretary from 2013 to 2017, he incurred massive debts to promote 23 tourism projects, but 16 of them were later classified as "low-efficiency and idle," with some projects becoming unfinished or abandoned. The losses incurred included over 900 million yuan (approximately 4.2 billion New Taiwan dollars) in debt interest alone.

In addition, Tang Shuangning, former chairman of China Everbright Group, who was investigated in July 2023, was issued about 20 charges by the CCP's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, including "engaging in elegant corruption" by using his position to extensively promote his personal calligraphy and other works.

"Political cliques" are another example. Sun Lijun, former vice minister of public security, who was investigated in April 2020, was regarded by the CCP's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection as the leader of a "political clique." Among the over 30 charges against him were "forming cliques and factions within the party, severely undermining the party's unity and solidarity," and "making unauthorized remarks on the party central's major policies."

Furthermore, the CCP's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection recently criticized some officials for "evasive resignations," stating that these officials attempted to evade investigations by resigning.

Although Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign has been ongoing for over 13 years, he stated in his speech at the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in January this year that "the task of eradicating the soil and conditions for corruption remains arduous and heavy," and "the high-pressure stance must be maintained without wavering." (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang / Lu Chia-jung) 1150618

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