China's Communist Party pledges to crack down on ‘unwritten rules’ that enable corruption

Summary

The Communist Party of China has pledged to vigorously crack down on the “unwritten rules” that enable corruption within the party, deepening its long-running campaign to keep officials in line. Senior officials described the key takeaways from the 20th Central Committee’s Fifth Plenum at a Friday press conference; the plenum concluded the day before. A communique passed at the plenum said the party must “ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to commit corruption”, and President Xi Jinping asserted that corruption remains a serious challenge requiring sustained pressure and targeted action. The plenum also promoted a general who led a military anti-graft purge to the Politburo, according to the South China Morning Post.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   30 Oct 2026, 05:55 UTCSource ↗

   The Post reports that the Communist Party pledged at a Friday press conference to vigorously crack down on the “unwritten rules” that enable corruption, after the 20th Central Committee’s Fifth Plenum concluded the day before.

2. South China Morning Post

   30 Oct 2026, 09:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Post’s Plus newsletter reports that Xi renewed the anti-corruption drive at the fifth plenum, which highlighted “unwritten rules” as a key issue, and that the general who led a military anti-graft purge was promoted to the Politburo.