China Concludes Party Campaign on Leadership Performance and Cadre Conduct

The Communist Party of China has concluded a centralized education campaign aimed at correcting cadre performance metrics and curbing superficial governance. Chaired by Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, with anti-corruption chief Li Xi in attendance, the Central Party Building Work Leading Group reviewed instructions from Xi Jinping calling for regularized training, enhanced audit and statistical supervision, and differentiated assessment systems. The initiative directly targets local governance behaviors such as vanity projects and the neglect of inherited debts ahead of nationwide local leadership transitions.

As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, central authorities are tightening how local officials are evaluated and promoted. Reorienting cadre incentives toward long-term deliverables rather than short-term prestige projects is critical for managing hidden local debt, sustaining policy continuity, and curbing bureaucratic formalism during upcoming leadership rotations.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has concluded a centralized intra-party education campaign focused on establishing a 'correct view of political achievements,' signaling a transition toward permanent oversight mechanisms, state media reported on August 24. The Central Party Building Work Leading Group convened a meeting in Beijing to summarize the campaign and plan long-term mechanisms. The session was presided over by Politburo Standing Committee member and group head Cai Qi, with Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Li Xi delivering remarks. According to official reports, the campaign, initiated earlier in the year to coincide with the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan, targeted leadership bodies at the county and division level and above, with a particular focus on primary Party secretaries ('一把手'). Xi Jinping issued instructions emphasizing that cultivating sound governance values remains a long-term task requiring continuous institutional consolidation. Xi instructed that regular performance-view training should prioritize municipal and county chief executives, newly promoted officials, younger cadres, and those in key operational posts. He stressed the need to address persistent governance distortions, calling for targeted rectification of the practice where 'new officials ignore old debts'—a common bureaucratic tendency to abandon predecessor commitments or liabilities in favor of new initiatives. Central guidance outlined integrating performance oversight with disciplinary inspections, audit supervision, and statistical verification to enhance problem detection. Leadership assessments are slated to rely on refined, differentiated evaluation systems that favor officials demonstrating practical outcomes and accountability over superficial metrics. The meeting noted that while the centralized campaign phase has basically concluded, Party organizations must maintain strict execution of democratic centralism, regular cautionary talks, and continuous problem-rectification to provide a solid organizational foundation for upcoming local leadership reshuffles.