China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is expected to be tied to the country's push toward high-quality development and national rejuvenation. While economic growth and technological breakthroughs are important targets, one of the foremost priorities of the Communist Party of China is ensuring unblemished Party conduct.

For the CPC, good Party conduct is the backbone of governance. It ensures close ties with the people and helps the government win the trust of the common masses.

President Xi Jinping has always held that there is no place for corruption in China. He sees corruption as a cancer that threatens the vitality of the world's largest Marxist governing party. Under his leadership, China has taken more remarkable steps in the fight against corruption since 2012. The ongoing anti-corruption drive is meant to ensure that the CPC works for the people of China and the largest interests of the nation rather than advancing its own interests.

The key to strengthening Party conduct is maintaining discipline through clear rules and eliminating corruption. The first task, therefore, is to improve the CPC's internal regulatory system.

The CPC has always treated irresponsible behavior of its members, corruption and malpractices with utmost seriousness. The Party has achieved good results so far, but now with the incoming introduction of the 15th Five-Year Plan and China becoming an economic powerhouse, it needs to work harder than ever before.

There are two important aspects of rules and regulations. First, rules should be clear and easy to understand. Everything should be clearly explained because if there is clarity, it leaves no room for the misuse of power. With the rapid transformation of the country's economy, the CPC introduces new rules to match the needs in areas such as economic management, public projects and grassroots governance.

Second, the rules must not just stay on paper but should be implemented strictly and equally. Doing so will ensure fairness and maintain authority within the Party.

Discipline and supervision are also important and should remain strong at all levels. Regular inspections, audits and accountability systems can prevent problems before they become even bigger. Clear rules, their strict enforcement and accountability mechanisms will help Party members understand what is allowed and what is not. When everyone respects the rules, Party organizations become more united and efficient.

Similarly, institutional transparency needs enhancement in order to stamp out corruption in the system. During the new five-year (2026-30) plan period, the CPC is expected to work on improving the systems to reduce the possibility of corruption. Decision-making will be made more transparent, digital supervision tools are likely to be used and clearer procedures are likely to be followed for public spending and project approval.

Thus, by strengthening institution-building, the CPC can make governance more stable and trustworthy.

Corruption not only damages public trust and weakens the Party's foundation, but it also wastes public resources and leads to inefficiencies. The CPC has introduced a multilayered anti-corruption mechanism to eliminate corrupt practices.

Corruption does not always involve money. There are many other forms of corruption such as malpractices, wastage of resources, delay in meeting deadlines and slackness at work.

The CPC has done a good job in keeping a check on such practices. The suggested multilayered anti-corruption mechanism can have more measures in place to take note of such corrupt practices.

In addition, the CPC has conducted training programs and study sessions to help Party members understand why it is important to be honest, disciplined and follow the rules. When clean conduct becomes part of everyday thinking, it is easier to maintain a healthy political environment.

In essence, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, strengthening Party conduct through clear and fair rules, strict discipline and firm anti-corruption measures will be a priority for the CPC.

By improving regulations, enforcing discipline, adopting multilayered anti-corruption mechanisms, and advancing clean governance, the Party can further enhance its leadership capacity and moral authority. These efforts will not only strengthen the Party but also provide strong guarantees for China's stable development and long-term prosperity.

The author is the executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, Islamabad.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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