Political repression in China reaches record level, nearly one million people affected in year
Photo: Chinese leader Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is tightening control over the country’s political system, using a sweeping anti-corruption campaign as a tool to remove disloyal officials and consolidate his personal power, according to The Wall Street Journal and official statistics from China.
According to the outlet, the campaign, formally presented as an anti-corruption drive, has in practice evolved into a mechanism to enforce absolute political loyalty to Xi Jinping. Its scale and intensity are described as unprecedented over the past several decades.
In 2025, disciplinary bodies of the Communist Party of China held 983,000 people accountable, up 10.6% year-on-year and the highest figure since such statistics began being published roughly 20 years ago.
Analysts link the new wave of investigations to preparations for approving the country’s next five-year development plan. In their assessment, the campaign is designed to ensure unconditional implementation of Xi’s political line at all levels of government. The party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, has warned that any deviation from leadership directives or manifestations of so-called bureaucratic inertia will be treated as serious disciplinary violations.
The crackdown has reached even the highest echelons of power and oversight bodies. At the most recent meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attendance reportedly fell to its lowest level since 1986, with about 10% of members absent. Among those sidelined or disappearing from public view are senior officials and generals, including former vice chair of the Central Military Commission He Weidong, previously considered close to Xi.
At the same time, Chinese state media have been broadcasting show trials and public "confessions" by officials, practices observers say echo political propaganda methods of the last century.
One consequence of pervasive control has been an effective paralysis of governance. More than 140,000 officials have been punished for so-called inaction, as fear of making mistakes or attracting the attention of disciplinary bodies has led many bureaucrats to avoid decision-making altogether.
Meanwhile, some officials seek to demonstrate loyalty by mechanically replicating Xi’s political and economic priorities. This has driven mass investment into semiconductors and electric vehicles even in regions where such projects lack economic justification, raising concerns about the formation of financial bubbles.
By way of background, former Chinese agriculture minister Tang Renjian was sentenced to death with a suspended execution for bribery. Earlier, in 2023, former vice chair of the Liaoning provincial committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Li Wenxi was sentenced to death for accepting bribes.
