Given the rhetoric, Beijing will now apparently focus on low-level corruption.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to fight “flies and ants,” announcing an intensified anti-corruption campaign targeting key sectors of the economy – finance, energy and infrastructure.

According to CNN, the Chinese leader made a powerful speech at a meeting of the disciplinary commission of the Communist Party. China must overcome “hidden risks” and toughen penalties for offering bribes, he said.

“Although the ten-year fight against corruption has been convincing, the situation remains difficult. Given such a difficult situation, the fight against corruption cannot be stopped, weakened or compromised,” Xi said, noting that the party will punish the “licentiousness of flies and ants.”

As CNN explains, in Chinese political language, rich in euphemisms, high-ranking officials are called “tigers,” while lower-level officials may be disparagingly referred to as “flies.”

“The reference to flies and ants refers to the corruption of small players or lesser corruption that is easier to hide,” the publication explains.

So far, Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has focused mainly on the Communist Party itself, the government, the army and state-owned companies. Now the focus will be on state-owned enterprises, in particular the pharmaceutical sector.

CNN notes that just this week, the CCP disciplinary commission expelled Tian Shuangning, a top executive of the large state-owned company China Everbright Group, from the party. He was accused of “abdicating his responsibilities,” failing to manage financial risks and accepting bribes. A criminal case was also opened against him.

In general, according to CNN, only from open sources it is known that during 2023, more than a dozen heads of the most powerful financial institutions in China were under investigation, including the former head of the State Bank of China.

The problem of corruption in China

As wrote, a wave of repression against the military leadership began in China due to the high level of corruption in the army and defense industry. According to US intelligence, the scale of corruption is such that it is likely to disrupt China’s preparations for an invasion of Taiwan.

Obviously, the problem of corruption, which has deep roots in China’s traditional culture, also hinders the country’s economic growth. This is superimposed on objective economic factors, such as the decline in industrial production, which cannot be overcome after the end of the coronavirus pandemic.