Over a million grassroots-level Chinese officials have been punished in the sweeping anti- corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping, which also effectively helped to consolidate his power.
Ahead of this month’s key National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), its top disciplinary watchdog said around 1.34 million grassroots-level party officials around the country had been punished since the party’s 2012 meeting during which Xi was elected leader of the party.
He subsequently became the president and the head of the military, becoming the most powerful CPC leader since party founder Mao Zedong.
CPC officials said that the anti-graft campaign boosted the sagging image of the party and made Xi a popular leader.
According to a recent report by PlA Daily, the official organ of the People’s liberation Army (PlA), those punished include 13,000 military officials.