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China’s Communist Party
ChinaPolitics

China officials unprepared for struggle, Xi Jinping told CCDI ahead of ‘lying flat’ campaign

  • In a just-published speech to the Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog, the Chinese leader says many cadres lack the tempering of brutal struggles
  • Xi urges the CCDI work conference to encourage enthusiasm and initiative while maintaining a strict disciplinary approach

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The CCDI routinely convenes a top-level meeting at the beginning of each year to lay out the priorities ahead. Photo: Xinhua
William Zheng
Decades of peaceful rule under the Communist Party have left some officials complacent and unprepared for “great struggle”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech published on Friday by the party’s top theoretical journal Qiushi.
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The speech was delivered in January last year at the second plenum of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China’s de facto anti-corruption and political disciplinary agency, but not made public until now.

The CCDI routinely convenes the top-level meeting at the beginning of each year, where Xi charts the corruption buster’s work focus for the 12 months ahead.

“How [can we] maintain the trail blazing spirit among officials? After decades of peaceful rule, many party members and cadres have not experienced the test of life and death, lacking the tempering of brutal struggles and harsh environments,” Xi said.

“They love to seek comfort and enjoyment, rest on their laurels and become complacent. They will panic and lose their confidence easily amid the great struggle with many new historical characteristics.”

Xi called on party members to maintain the spirit to “work hard and work well”, have the courage and ability to carry on the party’s struggle well, and make every effort to overcome difficulties and challenges.

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