Don’t be swayed by interest groups, Chinese president warns cadres

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered political elites to guard against the influence of interest groups.

Speaking at a workshop on fighting graft on Monday, Xi said leading cadres must practise strict self-discipline and “eliminate special privileges”, Xinhua reported. The meeting comes amid suspicions of collusion between the business sector and political elites on the mainland, concerns that have been amplified in recent weeks by the disappearance from Hong Kong of tycoon Xiao Jianhua, who is said to be connected to influential figures.

“Cadres should strictly watch themselves, and avoid being influenced by interest groups,” Xi was quoted as saying. “[We] must insist that interactions have principles, boundaries and rules.”

Xi was addressing hundreds of ministerial-level cadres at the Central Party School, the Communist Party’s top academy.

He exhorted them to be honest with the party and warned there was no excuse for trying to avoid supervision.