Passion and composure lead anti-graft fight

Some analysts view Xi Jinping, the top leader of the Communist Party of China, as an idealist. While some say that Xi always remains sober-minded. As a matter of fact, idealistic passion is common among those engaged in politics, but a good statesman sets himself apart from others by combining passion with composure. Xi's recent remarks attest to this.

Anyone who keeps an eye on China will know that in 2014, despite the mounting downward pressure on China's economy, the Chinese government and its ruling party still managed to please the Chinese people by pursuing an anti-corruption campaign in a real sense. The campaign has caught both "tigers", high-ranking military officers and government officials in powerful positions, and "flies", petty officials, in the anti-corruption net and brought them to justice.

The campaign has been widely appreciated by the public. But despite its indisputable success and popularity, Xi's analysis and judgment on the issue of corruption have remained level-headed.

He said that China's anti-corruption campaign still faces "grave and complicated challenges", and "corruption is indeed kept at bay, but it is not yet wiped out, and although the anti-corruption mechanism has been established, it is not a full-fledged one".

To put it in a nutshell, he believes that the campaign has fallen short of "an overwhelming victory". So will there be an overwhelming victory in the fight against corruption in 2015?

As a matter of fact, winning that battle is not Xi's goal. He sees the anti-corruption campaign as an "arduous and protracted war", but one that must be won. For him, the most desirable blueprint is "reducing the inventory of corruption, curbing its increase and rebuilding the political ecosystem". To turn this blueprint into reality, Xi said that it is imperative to keep applying high pressure, to adopt zero tolerance and retain the determination and courage to take strong measures, suffer great pains and enforce stringent discipline. He said it is crucial to get to the bottom of each and every case, give teeth to the anti-corruption efforts and form a powerful deterrent.