Editor's note: Wang Kun, a special commentator for CGTN, is vice dean of the Faculty of French and Francophone Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In December 2012, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee adopted the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct and building closer ties with the people. With just eight targeted rules – a "small incision" designed to produce "big change" – it aimed to address the deep-rooted "four maladies" of official life: formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.

Over the past 13 years, the Party leadership has enforced the decision with unrelenting persistence, continuing to press deeper in tackling the "four maladies." In this new era, the official conduct reform has reached important milestones, producing with positive results that are accountable both to the entire Party and to China's 1.4 billion people. More importantly, it has laid a durable foundation of integrity and upright conduct to sustain the Party's long-term governance.

Break the cycle of the four maladies with clean governance and strong deterrence

The real force of the eight-point decision comes from discipline with teeth – supervision and enforcement that do not shy away from confrontation. Anyone who "steps on the red line" or "crosses into the forbidden zones" is made to pay the price, creating a climate of deterrence where officials simply dare not cross the boundaries.

The Party leadership has made its position unmistakable: a zero-tolerance attitude toward violations of the decision. Those who defy the decision by openly flouting discipline are struck the moment they appear, with no indulgence or compromise. This relentless stance sends a strong and consistent message: Discipline will only get stricter, never looser.

Disciplinary and supervisory organs at all levels have built mechanisms for constant oversight. Through unannounced inspections, targeted investigations and political audits, they have kept unrelenting pressure on formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance. Every case discovered is a case punished, turning discipline into a genuine live wire: charged, dangerous to touch and impossible to ignore.

According to data published by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, a total of about 1.08 million cases of violations of the eight-point decision had been investigated nationwide by the end of 2024. Over 1.52 million officials were criticized, educated, or disciplined, including 995,000 who received Party or administrative sanctions. Behind these figures lies more than just statistics: They reflect the determination of disciplinary bodies to keep raising the pressure, with enforcement only growing stricter over time.

Since the 19th CPC National Congress in particular, the Party has pushed for more rigorous supervision, discipline and accountability. Any official who defies the decision is met with an uncompromising response: Every violation is exposed, investigated, punished and publicly reported. No leniency, no exceptions. This rigor has safeguarded both the seriousness and the authority of Party discipline.

Under the weight of strict enforcement, violators have faced severe punishment under both Party discipline and national law. This has sent an unmistakable signal that comprehensive strictness is here to stay and discipline will be enforced to the very end. The result has been the creation of a climate where corruption is simply too risky to attempt.

Evidence of this shift could be seen soon after the eight-point decision was introduced. Sales of luxury festival gifts plummeted, and their prices fell in tandem. These changes spoke volumes – under relentless oversight, Party and government officials developed a real sense of respect, even fear, for discipline.

The old "gambler's mentality" of testing the limits quietly receded and few dared to brush against the red lines of the four maladies. Party member conduct and political culture improved visibly and society at large felt a marked improvement in its moral climate.

Plugging the loopholes and creating a preventive system where corruption cannot take root

If the climate of "don't dare be corrupt" rests on deterrence, then "cannot be corrupt" depends on the hard constraints of decision. Over the past 13 years, to carry out the spirit of the eight-point decision, the central authorities and relevant departments have rolled out a series of supporting regulations, creating long-term mechanisms for improving official conduct.

Examples include the Regulations on Practicing Thrift and Opposing Waste in Party and Government Organs, the Provisions on Administration of Domestic Official Reception by Party and Government Organs and the Reform Plan for Official Vehicle Use of Party and Government Institutions. The decision imposed strict limits on official receptions, the use of government vehicles and meeting management. In doing so, they closed off loopholes at the institutional level and reversed the inertia of long-standing bad habits.

Take official receptions as an example. Across the country, hospitality standards are now enforced by the letter. The scale of receptions is tightly controlled and expenses are strictly capped. Since the decision was introduced, central government departments have drastically cut the budgets for overseas trips, official cars and receptions.

From 2010 to 2018, both total spending on the above three budget items and the portion spent specifically on receptions fell year after year. This steady decline tells its own story that, through institutional innovation and strict enforcement, the long-standing burden of lavish receptions at the grassroots has been fundamentally removed.

Cultivating "don't want to be corrupt" as an inner antibody against the four maladies

The eight-point decision has never been just about applying pressure and making a decision to regulate officials' behavior. Its deeper aim is to work on the inside to shape conviction and character so that integrity and self-restraint become second nature. In other words, it seeks to elevate the fight against corruption from "don't dare" (deterrence) and "cannot" (institutional prevention) to "don't want" (internalized choice).

Over the past 13 years, the Party has linked the improvement of official conduct with the strengthening of Party spirit and the firming up of ideals and beliefs. The goal is to cultivate the right worldview, outlook on life and sense of values, creating fertile "soil" in which the instinct to stay clean can grow.

This effort has two dimensions. On one hand, regular study sessions and routine political education have kept values front and center. Such routine study has honed officials' character, strengthened their sense of discipline and sharpened their awareness of rules. On the other hand, by combining positive role models with cautionary tales, cadres can receive both inspiration and a warning that their ideals are reinforced, while their awareness of honest governance is deepened.

Surveys by the National Bureau of Statistics show that satisfaction with the Party's integrity and anti-corruption work has risen steadily year by year. In 2022, 98.2 percent of respondents expressed approval of how the leadership was enforcing the decision; in 2024, 94.9 percent gave it their endorsement. The statistics demonstrate a tangible effect. Most Party and government officials now consciously follow the eight-point decision and channel their energy into serving the people.

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