China’s Xi says strict party governance has positive impact, does not stifle growth

Chinese President Xi Jinping has mounted a direct defence of the campaign for strong Communist Party governance and internal discipline, describing them as a “fundamental guarantee” for China’s rise and warning against any easing of scrutiny, according to state media.

Xi took the floor as the party’s 20th Central Committee closed its fifth plenum on Thursday, to directly address the scepticism over the sweeping campaign, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

According to “side notes” released by Xinhua on a document formally approved at the end of the four-day plenary session, Xi emphasised the need to “further raise awareness of the importance and urgency of relentlessly advancing the party’s full and rigorous self-governance”.

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The document formally cemented “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” as its long-term governing blueprint, the full text released by Xinhua on Sunday showed.

Confronting debate over whether tighter political control stifled the economy, Xi insisted that strict party self-governance had instead “served as a fundamental guarantee for the historic achievements and profound shifts seen across the party and the nation since the 18th party congress”.

At the close of that congress in November 2012, Xi became party general secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission, effectively succeeding Hu Jintao as China’s top leader.

Shortly afterwards, Xi launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign, vowing to target both “tigers and flies” – high-ranking officials and low-level cadres alike – while warning that unchecked corruption posed an existential threat that destroyed states throughout history.

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Xi formally introduced the doctrine of “full and rigorous party self-governance” in late 2014, elevating internal discipline to a cornerstone of his leadership.

“If full and rigorous self-governance has had an impact on economic and social development, it has been positive, not negative,” he said on Thursday, pushing back against criticism that it had stifled growth.

He argued that strict internal discipline ensured a level playing field in markets, spurred innovation and entrepreneurship, and prevented corrupt economic practices from harming the public interest.

The party’s stance would not soften, Xi vowed, declaring that regardless of future headwinds or uncertainties, the leadership would remain steadfast with “not the slightest hesitation or retreat”.

The document approved on Thursday was titled “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on major issues concerning strengthening full and rigorous party self-governance with perseverance”.

In it, the committee highlighted a shifting domestic landscape that posed fresh challenges to maintaining internal discipline.

Pointing to uneven economic development, fracturing social values and a generational shift across party ranks, the document said these trends placed new demands on safeguarding social harmony and stability, as well as on strengthening the education and management of party members.

These evolving circumstances “present major challenges to the party’s governance capability, leadership proficiency, cadre quality and corruption defences”, the document noted.

It said as the party’s rule extended across an era of enduring peace but increasing complexity, it had become all the more vital to stay vigilant, prepare for crisis during times of calm and forge a stronger party.

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Underscoring the scale of the anti-corruption apparatus, Zhang Fuhai, deputy chief of the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the state-level National Commission of Supervision, released enforcement data at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

According to the figures, anti-corruption watchdogs have launched more than 8.1 million investigations and penalised roughly 7.92 million individuals since the 18th party congress more than a decade ago.

Among those disciplined or expelled were 963 high-ranking officials managed directly by the central leadership – underscoring the sweeping scope and intensity of the 14-year campaign to root out malfeasance.