Discipline Inspection and Supervision | Enhancing the Capacity and Level of Promoting the “Three Nos” Against Corruption in a Holistic Manner

As the fundamental guideline for fighting corruption and an important strategy for comprehensively enforcing strict Party governance in the new era, the integrated promotion of the “three no’s” against corruption represents a crucial epistemology and methodology for firmly opposing corruption and deepening efforts to address both symptoms and root causes. It shines with the brilliance of Marxist philosophy and embodies the systemic perspective that runs through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

　　General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “The systemic perspective is a fundamental way of thinking and working.” A system is an organic whole composed of several elements that are interconnected and interact with one another. The whole and its parts are inseparable; the whole governs the parts, while the parts, in turn, constrain the whole. In promoting the integrated advancement of the “three no-corruption” measures, we must not only grasp the key aspects and critical links of “not daring to be corrupt,” “not being able to be corrupt,” and “not wanting to be corrupt,” but also focus on the overall picture of the “three no-corruption” initiative itself. The General Secretary emphasized that “not daring to be corrupt,” “not being able to be corrupt,” and “not wanting to be corrupt” constitute an organic whole—not merely three distinct stages or isolated steps. This calls for advancing the “three no-corruption” measures in a dynamic rather than static, comprehensive rather than partial, systematic rather than fragmented, and universally interconnected rather than singly isolated manner. We must examine “not daring to be corrupt,” “not being able to be corrupt,” and “not wanting to be corrupt” within their systemic context, comprehensively analyzing the mutual connections, interactions, and constraints between the “three no-corruption” initiative as a whole and its external environment. This is an inherent requirement of materialist dialectics. Therefore, we must adhere to the systemic perspective, integrating the powerful deterrent effect of “not daring to be corrupt,” the rigid institutional constraints of “not being able to be corrupt,” and the ideological educational advantages of “not wanting to be corrupt” into a unified whole, thereby achieving a synergistic effect in which the overall function exceeds the sum of its individual components.

　　Adhering to the principle of coordinated synergy—seeking momentum from synergy and pooling strengths through synergy—is an essential component of comprehensively advancing the “three no-corruption” initiatives. In recent decades, systems science has been widely applied, focusing on the general laws governing how various systems transition from disorder to order and thereby harnessing the synergistic effects among subsystems. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that in promoting the integrated approach of "not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt," we must exert simultaneous, concerted, and comprehensive efforts across all three dimensions. We need to integrate the powerful deterrent effect of "not daring to be corrupt," the rigid institutional constraints of "not being able to be corrupt," and the ideological and educational advantages of "not wanting to be corrupt" into a unified whole. Adopting a "full-cycle management" approach, we should ensure that these measures complement each other in terms of policy orientation, mutually reinforce each other during implementation, and synergistically enhance their overall effectiveness. This requires us to view the various tasks, elements, and mechanisms involved in the integrated promotion of the "three no-corruption" initiatives—not as isolated entities, but as interconnected, integrated, and closely interactive components. The absence of even a single link or domain could significantly undermine the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. We must integrate the fight against corruption with the Party’s political development, ideological development, organizational development, work style development, disciplinary development, and institutional development, fully leveraging the critical roles played by political oversight, ideological education, organizational management, work style rectification, disciplinary enforcement, and institutional improvement in preventing and combating corruption. We should pay close attention to the synergy, orderliness, coupling, and interconnectivity inherent in the integrated promotion of the "three no-corruption" initiatives, thus waging a comprehensive and coordinated battle. (Xin Ming, Professor at the Central Party School [National Academy of Administration])

We must promote, in a coordinated manner, the principles of "daring not to be corrupt, being unable to be corrupt, and having no desire to be corrupt," adopting a "full-cycle management" approach to ensure that various measures are mutually complementary in terms of policy orientation, mutually reinforcing during implementation, and mutually enhancing in terms of effectiveness. This is the first time General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed using a "full-cycle management" approach in the fight against corruption, providing a fundamental guideline for comprehensively winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption.

　　“Full-cycle management,” also known as “full-lifecycle management,” is a modern management philosophy and approach that emphasizes comprehensive coordination and integrated management across the entire lifecycle—from system components and structural functions to operational mechanisms and outcome processes. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized the creative application and practical implementation of the “full-cycle management” approach in his governance and administration practices. In August 2016, at the National Health and Health Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, calling for “efforts to ensure people’s health in all aspects and throughout the entire life cycle.” On March 10, 2020, during his inspection of epidemic prevention and control efforts in Wuhan, Hubei Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, “We must respect and treat cities with care, cultivate an awareness of ‘full-cycle management,’ and strive to explore new approaches to the modern governance of megacities.” During the Two Sessions of 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the need to “integrate the concept of full-cycle management into every stage and link of urban planning, construction, and management.” The introduction of the “full-cycle management” approach into the field of anti-corruption efforts represents a great innovation by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in advancing Party governance and discipline. It embodies our Party’s spirit of thorough self-revolution—“we should press home our victory and pursue the defeated enemy relentlessly”—as well as our pragmatic attitude of using scientific methods to address prominent contradictions and problems.

　　Only by firmly establishing the awareness of “full-cycle management” and strengthening comprehensive control over the entire process—from the source to the end, with oversight covering every stage and every element—can we effectively enhance the effectiveness of corruption governance. As the saying goes, “Even a tiny hole can let in a gale.” Any loophole, no matter how small, in any sector or at any stage, can easily give rise to chronic and stubborn problems that persist despite repeated efforts, significantly undermining the effectiveness of governance. From the perspective of “full-cycle management,” we must place greater emphasis on the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of corruption governance, avoiding the practice of treating symptoms rather than root causes, and preventing the situation where addressing one problem leads to another. We need to pay closer attention to enhancing the interconnectedness and synergy among the various measures for promoting the “three no’s” against corruption, adopting a systemically integrated approach to continuously unleash synergistic effects and boost the overall effectiveness of corruption governance. To advance the “three no’s” in an integrated manner under the framework of “full-cycle management,” we must maintain an unwavering high-pressure stance and adopt a zero-tolerance attitude toward corruption. We should start by addressing emerging trends and potential risks, strengthening control at the source, acting promptly when signs appear, tackling issues in a practical and effective manner, and seeking thorough solutions. Focusing on key areas and critical links, we must keep in mind the requirements of normalization and long-term effectiveness, refine mechanisms for comprehensive governance throughout the entire process, and ensure smooth implementation down to the “last mile.” Moreover, we must put great effort into consolidating the foundations and strengthening the roots, educating and warning Party members and cadres to cultivate a sense of awe, remain vigilant, and stay within the boundaries of integrity. (Song Wei, Deputy Director, Center for Integrity and Governance Studies, Tsinghua University)

Source | China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Magazine [Issue No. 15, 2022]