China Campaign Against Graft Is Targeting More Senior Officials
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China’s top graft buster reported a surge in investigations and disciplinary actions in the first quarter of 2026, signaling an intensification of President Xi Jinping’s long-running campaign against official misconduct.
Anti-corruption authorities nationwide opened 245,000 cases between January and March, according to a statement published Thursday by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Among them were 30 officials at the provincial or ministerial level. Disciplinary penalties were handed to 183,000 individuals, including 56 officials at that level.
The figures mark a notable increase in high-ranking targets compared with recent years. Sixteen such officials were investigated in the first quarter of 2024 and 13 in the same period of 2025.
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- China opened 245,000 corruption cases and disciplined 183,000 in Q1 2026, including 30 and 56 provincial/ministerial officials.
- High-level investigations surged to 30 from 16 (Q1 2024) and 13 (Q1 2025); disciplines exceeded 2023 total of 49.
- Only 18/30 investigated and 14/56 disciplined named publicly; spanned 9 provinces, central bodies, SOEs.
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