Xi’s harsh remarks on corruption 

 

Here are 20 quotes from Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding stringent requirements for Party members. Most of them, colloquial but harsh, are revealed for the first time. Read them, and you will understand Xi’s zero tolerance on corruption within the Communist Party of China.

 

以下是国家主席习近平在对党员提要求时说过的20句话。这些话有很多是首次披露，而且大白话、“狠话”特别多。读完这些话，你就会理解习大大对党内腐败的“零容忍”。

 

 

“Hold the provincial-level Party chiefs accountable.” -Jan 23, 2014

 

“找省委书记说事。”（2014年1月23日）

 

Xi made the remark while urging provincial Party chiefs to rectify the local problems uncovered by central inspection teams and strengthen Party disciplines.

 

习近平在要求省委书记整改中央检查组在地方发现的问题、克服纪律松弛现象时提出了这一说法。

 

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“Never dream about feigning innocence and playing a peacemaker. ”- Jan 14, 2014

 

“别想装糊涂、当好人。”（2014年1月24日）

 

Xi urged Party and disciplinary committees at all levels to shoulder the responsibility of fighting corruption, warning that officials who turn a blind eye to local graft issues and take a “none–of-my-business” attitude shall be held accountable.

 

习近平提出，各个级别的党委和纪委，都要承担起打击贪腐的责任，决不允许责任人对当地腐败现象视而不见，抱有“事不关己、高高挂起”的态度，否则将拿他问责。

 

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“Where were the main-duty holders?”- June 26, 2014

 

“主要责任人是干什么的？”（2014年6月26日）

 

Xi demanded that local senior officials be held responsible if corruption becomes rampant in their administrative regions.

 

习近平要求，地方成为腐败重灾区，要向该地区的高层官员追责。

 

 

 

 

Xi criticized some officials for squandering public funds. He noted that rules in managing public money should be with the utmost respect and focus.

 

习近平批评部分官员挥霍公款，他提出，管理公款的规定最需要尊重和关注。

 

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Xi warned that the practices of recklessly receiving gifts or sending out bonuses are forms of corruption. Any abuse of power for personal gain should be eradicated.

 

习近平警告称，收受礼品、滥发奖金说到底就是腐败，任何以权谋私的行为都必须连根拔除。

 

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“What separates them from money managers?” -- May 9, 2014

 

“不就当了一个财物保管员吗？”（2014年5月9日）

 

Xi used the term “financial keeper” to describe those officials who were convicted of corruption and had to turn over the money embezzled or received in bribes after being investigated.

 

习近平用“财物保管员”一词来描述那些被判贪污罪的官员。被调查后，这些贪官不得不交出挪用或受贿的钱财。

 

 

 

 

Using himself as an example, Xi demanded China’s top-ranking officials take the lead in implementing the eight-point rules against “extravagance, formalism and bureaucracy."

 

习近平以自己为例，要求高级领导干部带头落实抵制“奢侈浪费、形式主义、官僚主义”的八项规定。

 

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“Corrupt military officers are unqualified to supervise others.” -July 8, 2013

 

“自己不干净，怎么管别人？”（2013年7月8日）

 

Xi made the remarks at a meeting of the Central Military Commission, demanding military officials stay clean to set an example for the soldiers.

 

习近平在一次中央军委会议上发表了上述讲话，要求军官清廉自律，为官兵做表率。

 

“(It is wrong) when you say stop talking and I heard nothing.”—Jan 14, 2014

 

“你不要讲了，我什么也没有听见。（这种现象很不正常。）”（2014年1月14日）

 

Xi cited the remarks by some officials who willfully turn a blind eye to corruption.

 

这是一些故意对腐败视而不见的官员的言论，习近平加以引用。

 

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Xi said he knew of certain “rules” that have been used among Party members for years, for instance, “a subordinate favors his superior who instead should provide shelter for follower”.

 

习近平表示，他知道这些年一些潜规则侵入党内，并逐渐流行起来，比如“上级对下级，哄着护着；下级对上级，捧着抬着。”

 

 

 

Xi used this metaphor to emphasize everything will remain calm when a senior official is caught and punished for breaking the law.

 

习近平用这一隐喻来强调高级别官员因触犯法律被查处问责，不会产生什么严重后果。

 

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The words were made to urge Party members to govern both their words and actions in the confines of constitutional laws and Party disciplines. No Party members can abuse their powers.

 

习近平以这些话来敦促党员言行要严守宪法和党纪，不得滥用权力。

 

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The remarks are made as Xi called for the harsh punishment of officials who hold multiple ID cards or green cards from other countries. It has become a pattern for corrupt officials to send their family members overseas.

 

习近平在呼吁从严处罚持有多个身份证或外国绿卡的官员时做了上述表述。腐败官员将家人送往海外已经成为一种定式。

 

 

Xi made the remarks in an apparent move to have a zero-tolerance policy on cronyism or sycophancy within the Communist Party of China. Party members should work together on equal terms and never try to obtain higher positions by favoring superior officials.

 

习近平决心对党内的任人唯亲和谄媚奉承采取零容忍政策。共产党员应该在平等的条件下合作共事，不要试图通过取悦上级获得更高职位。

 

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Xi warned the Party members against using political connections to gain unfair interests. The remarks were made during an inspection visit to Hebei province, North China.

 

习近平提醒党员不要通过政治关系获取不当利益。他在对河北省进行视察时发表了如上讲话。

 

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Xi warned that social connections and bribery have hampered the development of a healthy society. Equal opportunities are emphasized in this remark and therefore Party members should root out the practice of abusing power, including bribery, cronyism and nepotism.

 

习近平提醒说，走关系和行贿受贿已经阻碍了健康社会的发展。他强调了机会平等的重要性，因此党员应该根除滥用权力的行为，包括贿赂、任人唯亲和裙带关系。

 

 

 

“Some Party officials are obsessed with seeking political protection umbrellas and making social connections.” – June 26, 2014

 

“有的热衷寻求政治靠山、架‘天线’。”（2014年6月26日）

 

Xi criticized the malpractice of election fraud that involves bribery, manipulation of election rules and “sale” of government official positions.

 

习近平批评了选举舞弊的行为，包括贿选、操纵选举、以及跑官卖官。

 

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“It is evil for officials to use poverty-relief fund for higher-position deals.”

 

“保命钱成了买官钱，恶行令人发指！”

 

Xi said there were officials who embezzled public social security funds to buy their way into official posts. He described those acts as “outrageously evil” and said officials caught doing those acts should be punished harder.

 

习近平说，有些官员挪用社保基金为自己买官，他描述这种行为是“恶行令人发指”，并表示这些官员应受到更严厉的处罚。

 

 

 

 

In this remark, Xi showed his determination to continue fighting corruption, asking officials not to count the number of corrupt Party members that have been punished. According to Xi, the fight is on going.

 

习近平在此表露出继续惩治贪腐的决心，要求官员不要去计算已经被惩处的腐败党员的人数。习近平表示，反腐还将继续下去。

 

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Xi said it is wrong for people to think that the undergoing anti-corruption policies will shrink consumer demands, and even connect the pressures of the current economic downturn with the increasing number of anti-corruption activities.

 

习近平说，有人认为正在进行的反腐会使消费需求缩水，甚至将目前经济不景气的压力与越来越多的反腐活动联系起来，这种想法是错误的。

 

 

 

Vocabulary

 

stringent: 严厉的

 

colloquial: 口语的，白话的

 

zero tolerance: 零容忍

 

shirk: 推卸，逃避

 

accountable: 负有责任的

 

rectify: 矫正，改正

 

feign: 假装，佯作

 

rampant: 猖獗的

 

squander: 挥霍，浪费(时间、金钱等)

 

recklessly: 不顾后果地

 

eradicate: 根除

 

embezzle: 盗用，挪用

 

extravagance: 奢侈浪费

 

bureaucracy: 官僚主义

 

toe the line: 严守规则

 

cronyism: 任人唯亲

 

sycophancy: 阿谀奉承

 

cliques: 小团体

 

factions: 派系

 

nepotism: 裙带关系

 

malpractice: 渎职，玩忽职守