The Party launches new education campaign to rein in official misconduct

Beijing is tightening the screws on official misconduct.

On Wednesday, Cai Qi, head of the Central Party-building Leading Small Group (LSG), launched a four-month education campaign to reinforce Xi Jinping's Eight-Point Frugality Rules.

Some context: Xi introduced the rules in 2012 to curb displays of extravagance, restrict lavish spending, and eliminate excessive formalism among senior leaders.

• Over time, the rules have been expanded to include all officials nationwide, addressing infractions such as bureaucratic inertia and accepting gift cards.

Cai's latest campaign aims to (CCTV):

• Enhance discipline through "warning education" using real-world cases
• Ensure focused rectification efforts

Violations are on the rise: The Party’s disciplinary watchdog (CCDI) investigated over 225,000 violations of the Eight-Point Rules in 2024, more than doubling from around 107,000 in 2023 (CCDI 1, CCDI 2).

• Over 40% of last year's violations were related to inertia, reckless decision-making, and other actions deemed harmful to economic growth.

Get smart: Officials are being scrutinized for both doing too little and for doing too much.

• The Party must walk a fine line to ensure the campaign enforces discipline without further fueling bureaucratic paralysis.