Decisive measures against corruption yield positive results

Corruption and misconduct in governance undermine the interests of the people. Tackling this menace is a major concern for the Communist Party of China and a fundamental requirement for advancing self-governance of the Party.

A three-year anti-corruption campaign was launched in 2024, focusing on issues that matter most to people and directly affect their daily lives, including food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, healthcare, elderly care and funeral services.

The scope of the campaign was expanded in 2025, and 2026 is poised to tackle the most challenging issues and achieve a decisive conclusion.

These efforts have effectively safeguarded the immediate interests of the people, ensuring they can live and work in peace.

Food safety in schools is one key area of focus, as it directly affects the health of students. When unscrupulous individuals exploit school meal programs at the expense of children, the impact is particularly painful for families. The National Commission of Supervision initiated a campaign to crack down on this misconduct.

For the first time, an in-depth survey of canteens and meal provisions at primary and secondary schools was conducted across the country. In 2025, the NSC guided supervisory authorities at all levels in investigating 61,000 cases involving misconduct, including misappropriation of funds for student meals, interference in bidding and procurement, and accepting kickbacks. This led to disciplinary action against 35,000 individuals.

Some cases were particularly egregious and deeply disturbing. In 2024, the campaign also investigated cases involving two former Party secretaries of Longhui county in Hunan province, who accepted bribes and allowed substandard rice in students' meals.

Following these efforts, school canteen facilities and management have improved significantly, and the quality of school meals has generally risen.

Corruption is also frequent in the management of rural collective funds, assets and resources, and has drawn strong complaints from farmers. The NSC intensified its efforts to address these problems, investigating many cases involving embezzlement or misappropriation of collective funds, unauthorized disposal of collective assets, and lax oversight of resources. Disciplinary action was initiated to help safeguard the material foundation for rural revitalization.

Corruption in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors increases the burden on patients, damages doctor-patient relations and undermines professional ethics.

The NSC cracked down on corruption in these sectors, including misuse of one's position in healthcare for personal gain and misappropriation of medical insurance funds.

It also moved forcefully to curb practices such as accepting kickbacks and illicit payments from patients. It also took measures to address the difficulties and high costs in accessing medical care.

Serious accidents are often caused by human factors, including failure in responsibility and inadequate supervision.

The NSC investigated six major accidents, including the 2023 disaster at the open-pit coal mine operated by Xinjing Coal Industry in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the devastating fire in shops in Xinyu, Jiangxi province in 2024. A total of 337 public officials were held accountable in connection with these cases.

Some officials embezzle basic livelihood funds intended to protect vulnerable people, undermining the support provided by the Party and the government. The NSC resolutely punished acts that infringed upon the interests of people in difficulty and other vulnerable groups.

Focusing on low-income people and other groups facing hardship, it worked with civil affairs authorities to examine cases where social assistance was granted on the basis of personal connections or favoritism. A total of 16,000 cases of corruption and misconduct were investigated, and 7,023 ineligible individuals were removed from assistance programs.

The NSC also collaborated with judicial and law enforcement authorities to eliminate corruption and protective networks that sustain organized crime. It supervised the investigation of corruption and protective umbrellas linked to 23 major cases and guided local supervisory authorities in investigating several cases involving senior officials.

Problems such as arbitrary fees, fines and levies harm people's interests and undermine public confidence in the Party and the government. The NSC cracked down heavily on misconduct that interferes with people's livelihood. It guided local authorities in addressing common problems in the business environment, grassroots law enforcement and government services.

Since the 20th CPC National Congress, through December of 2024, a total of 81,000 cases involving corruption and misconduct in law enforcement and the administration of justice and government services were investigated, resulting in disciplinary action against 66,000 people.

Local authorities established that three law enforcement officers received regular payments from vehicle owners as a form of illicit "road toll" and accepted 395,000 yuan ($58,915) in benefits from businesses.

Formalism and bureaucratism are deeply resented by the public and impose a heavy burden on grassroots officials.

The NSC investigated and corrected excessive and repetitive inspections, supervision and performance assessments. It also checked formalism carried out through digital platforms.

In 2025, special campaigns were launched to tackle corruption and misconduct in funeral services and to standardize law enforcement involving businesses.

Authorities were urged to address practical problems such as clearing wage arrears owed to sanitation workers, resolving difficulties in obtaining property certificates and curbing unnecessary medical examinations and diagnostic tests.

Nationwide measures were introduced, including rules on real estate registration, standards for school meal services and guidelines for strengthening and improving the management of funeral services.

These efforts aim to establish long-term mechanisms for effective governance.

The three-year campaign, which ends this year, calls for strong efforts to advance nationwide priorities, including the construction of high-standard farmland, the management of rural collective funds, assets and resources, medical insurance fund management and elderly care services. It also emphasizes concentrated efforts to resolve complaints relating to people's livelihoods.

The fight against corruption should gradually move from investigating problems after they occur toward ensuring oversight of the exercise of power throughout the process.

Functional departments should be encouraged to strengthen supervision and improve institutional mechanisms, addressing problems at their source and fostering cleaner governance.

The author is deputy head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Commission of Supervision at the General Administration of Customs China.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.