Chinese President Xi Jinping, who continues to crack the corruption whip on the ruling Communist Party and the military officials, asked the cadre to turn the knife inwards, stop whitewashing mistakes and carry the anti-graft campaign without any mercy.

Since he came to power in 2012, Xi made the anti-corruption campaign the main plank of his governance model.

Official media accounts say over a million party officials, including two defence ministers and dozens of military officials, were punished and prosecuted in the campaign.

In his speech delivered at the plenary session of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in January this year, contents of which were released for the first time on Sunday by party theoretical magazine Qiushi, 71-year-old Xi has called on cadres to confront corruption head-on so that interest groups cannot “prey on” the Party.

Xi said all party members must “deeply promote the party’s self-revolution” – referring mainly to the fight against corruption.

Significantly, the number of high-ranking officials undergoing punishments for corruption is on the increase despite the relentless campaign.

Last year, the CCDI announced that it had launched investigations into a record number of 45 “tigers”, or high-ranking cadres, but this year the total has already reached 54, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Monday.

Xi’s anti-graft campaign in the military has drawn global attention, which his critics say enabled him to consolidate his hold on power.

In November, Miao Hua, the admiral in-charge of the party work in the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA headed by Xi himself, was suspended from duty and placed under investigation for suspected “serious discipline violations” – a euphemism for corruption.

"If we don't avoid criticism and don't whitewash mistakes, and if we promptly identify and solve our own problems, we can effectively combat the preying and erosion of all interest groups, powerful groups and privileged classes,” Xi said.

"As the situation and tasks change, as the external environment changes and as the party itself changes, it is inevitable that various conflicts and problems will arise within the party," the Post quoted him as saying in his speech at the CCDI.

"We must have the courage to turn the knife inwards and promptly eliminate all negative influences to ensure that the party remains full of vitality and vigour." State media has previously reported that Xi told anti-corruption officials at the meeting that China’s fight against corruption is “severe and complex” and that “no mercy” should be shown in eradicating the problem.

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