The Lions's Share, Act 2. What's Behind China's Anti-Corruption Campaign?[La part du lion, acte 2 : Les dessous de la campagne anti-corruption en Chine]

As we have seen in a previous working paper (« The lion's share : What's behind China's economic slowdown ? »), China's elite have largely benefited from control of state assets and manipulation of the factors market (land, labor and capital) during the first decade of this century. Along with strong growth and social mobility, the accumulation of wealth has created some of the most flagrant social polarization worldwide, much higher than the official statistics. Instead of taking concrete measures to correct these inequalities, according to the new blueprint of reforms launched by the 3rd Plenum in November 2013, the new direction has focused on a gigantic campaign against corruption. The choice of the « tigers » targeted at the highest level reflect an aspect of political infighting. The top-down method as well as the creation of numerous « Central Leading Groups », allows the new secretary general and chairman Xi Jinping to concentrate power on a scale unprecedented since Deng Xiaoping. Behind these political stakes, the real goal of the campaign seems to destabilise vested interest groups in favor of the statuquo, but the social coalition supporting the power is still fragile, with the passive resistance of the local bureaucraties, the alienation of intellectuals and the uncertainties concerning the gains of the private sector.