Translated with AI
China enters 2026 with rapid development, while the fight against corruption remains a key priority for the Communist Party of China (CPC), chinadaily.com.cn reports.
Over the past year, China's tough anti-corruption campaign has steadily advanced, with authorities vowing to "stop no step, and retreat no half step" in continuing efforts to root out bribery and curb corrupt practices.
The country's anti-corruption agencies closely monitored key high-ranking officials and streamlined inspections to ensure that the government operated under strict oversight.
According to information published on the website of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, 65 centrally subordinate officials, mostly at the ministerial level and above, were investigated for corruption throughout last year, with nine of them filed in December alone.
The list of officials under investigation included such well-known names as Jiang Chaoliang, Jin Xiangjun, Lan Tianli, Liu Hui, and Yi Huiman.
The fight against corruption has also led to continued progress in areas affecting the public. From January to November 2025, 536,000 low-ranking officials were disciplined, and 20,000 were prosecuted.
In the global hunt for corrupt fugitives and stolen assets, China has repeatedly achieved victories. Thanks to Operation Tianwang 2025 (Operation Skynet 2025), 782 fugitives were repatriated from overseas in just 11 months, and approximately 23.66 billion yuan (approximately $3.38 billion) in illicitly appropriated assets were recovered.
Last July, Zhou Jinghua, a figure on Interpol's 100 most wanted fugitives list, who were subject to "red notices" issued at China's request, was extradited from Thailand, becoming the last corrupt fugitive in Asia to be apprehended as part of the campaign.
That same month, Liang Jinwen, one of the first to appear on China's list of 100 most wanted fugitives, returned to the country and voluntarily surrendered to authorities after 28 years on the run abroad. He fully repaid the funds he was suspected of embezzling before fleeing abroad in 1996.
Throughout the year, the CCP spared no effort to improve its operating style. In March, it launched a four-month campaign involving approximately 100 million of its members to strengthen compliance with the Party Code of Conduct.
Disciplinary and supervisory bodies have published typical cases of violations of the party's code of conduct, known as the "Eight-Point Rules," with clear indications of those involved.
In 2025, the CPC completed inspections in all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government.
China has also strengthened its institutional framework. In June 2025, a revised Supervision Law came into effect, further expanding oversight powers and removing institutional obstacles, demonstrating a clear and firm stance on severe punishment for corruption.
