Xi orders ‘heavy blow’ to 'pointless formalities, bureaucratism'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday ordered a "heavy blow" to what the politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) described as "pointless formalities and bureaucratism."

"Efforts should be made to tighten political oversight, advance the fight against corruption, deal a heavy blow to pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance," said the minutes of a meeting of the CPC's top body chaired by Xi.

According to Beijing-based Xinhua News, the meeting was held to "analyze and study the economic work of 2024, arrange party conduct and anti-corruption work, and review regulations on the CPC's disciplinary action."

It called on officials to "make oversight more effective, and develop a team of discipline inspection and supervision personnel who are high-caliber and professional."

On the country's economy, the second-largest in the world, the meeting said it had "achieved a recovery this year and the country's high-quality development has made solid progress."

Emphasizing the need to increase domestic demand, the politburo said measures should be taken to "effectively enhance economic vitality, prevent and defuse risks, improve social expectations."

The CPC meeting called on officials to "pursue progress while ensuring stability, consolidate stability through progress, and establish the new before abolishing the old regarding the economic work next year."

"The proactive fiscal policy should be appropriately intensified and improved in quality and efficiency, while the prudent monetary policy should be flexible, appropriate, targeted and effective," it added.