Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his firm stance on combating corruption within the Communist Party, emphasizing the need to “uproot sick trees” as part of an ongoing anti-corruption campaign. The remarks, originally delivered in January during the fifth plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), were published on Thursday in the party’s official magazine Qiushi ahead of a key party meeting scheduled for late October.
Xi characterized corruption as the foremost threat to the party’s development and stability, describing it as both a “roadblock and stumbling block” that demands relentless efforts to address. He stressed that the anti-corruption drive must continue without pause or retreat, signaling a sustained crackdown on corrupt officials at all levels.
The metaphor of “sick trees” drawn from ancient Chinese poetry suggests that rooting out corruption will pave the way for new growth and renewal within the party. Xi warned against complacency, highlighting that corrupt practices remain widespread and prone to resurgence, requiring ongoing vigilance.
The forthcoming fifth plenary session of the Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee, set to convene in Beijing from October 26 to 29, is expected to focus on enhancing internal party governance. Senior officials will likely discuss measures to strengthen political oversight, close institutional loopholes, and reinforce systematic anti-corruption mechanisms across government and party structures.
This session arrives amid preparations for a broader leadership reshuffle projected to take place during the party congress next autumn, when a new Central Committee will be formed and key leadership appointments announced. The anti-corruption campaign has significantly impacted the party’s senior ranks, with 34 out of 205 full Central Committee members currently under investigation or removed from their seats in the National People’s Congress.
Recent developments include the CCDI’s announcement on Tuesday of an investigation into former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan, who had long been viewed as a resilient political figure, marking a significant probe eight years after his retirement.
Xi also addressed concerns over governance practices during leadership transitions, urging stronger efforts to prevent officials from idling before handing over power or rushing to achieve short-term results after assuming office. Specifically, he called for increased scrutiny of corruption involving “principal leaders,” younger cadres, and other officials typically targeted for promotion during reshuffles.
Since September, several regional leadership changes have accelerated, including appointments of new top and second-ranked officials across six provinces.
Furthermore, Xi criticized certain party regulations as overly broad or vague and identified gaps in the coherence of existing rules and oversight systems. He advocated for revising outdated provisions, closing regulatory loopholes, and establishing new rules where necessary to strengthen internal discipline. Using a Chinese idiom, Xi warned against “using a cattle pen to confine a cat,” implying that current safeguards are sometimes ineffective due to lax or ill-fitting controls.
He also called for better integration of big data and advanced technologies to enhance supervision, disciplinary enforcement, and legal compliance within the party’s ranks. This emphasis underscores the leadership’s aim to modernize party governance amid efforts to consolidate authority ahead of upcoming political milestones.