No immunity: how Xi’s anti-corruption fighters are zeroing in on fresh targets
The South China Morning Post has launched a major data project diving into President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-graft campaign. In the second part of an accompanying series, William Zheng examines how the campaign has targeted corrupt officials outside the Chinese capital and long after retirement. It used to be an easy choice for senior Chinese officials deciding between a local government…
The South China Morning Post's data project reveals that President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign has intensified its focus on senior officials outside the capital city and after their retirement. Among the most senior officials targeted between 2013 and 2025, 60% were taken down while working in regional government roles.
The median age of those targeted was 60, the usual retirement age for deputy provincial ranks. The campaign has also pursued officials after they retired, with nearly 60% of targets coming from regional governments and 20% from central government or Beijing party bodies. The trend of pursuing officials during their semi-retirement or retirement only became more prevalent after 2020.
This shift highlights the intensified scrutiny on local party secretaries, who wield significant power in China's opaque system.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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