Don’t let pillow talk lead you to corruption: Xi warns

“Don’t let pillow talk lead you down to corruption. Don’t let your children engage in self-dealing using your name. Don’t be dragged into the ‘muddy water’ by people around you,” Xi was quoted as saying.

Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds after the parliament passed a constitutional amendment lifting presidential term limit, at the third plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 11, 2018.

President Xi Jinping has warned Chinese officials to shed “pillow talk” and ensure that they and their families refrain from indulging in corruption as he is set to rule China perhaps for life after the abolition of term limits.

China’s rubber-stamp parliament today ratified a historic constitutional amendment abolishing the decades old practice of limiting a presidency to two terms. This paves the way for Xi to become China’s leader-for-life.

In his interaction with the deputies of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Xi said officials should strengthen self-control and not get tempted.

“Don’t let pillow talk lead you down to corruption. Don’t let your children engage in self-dealing using your name. Don’t be dragged into the ‘muddy water’ by people around you,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

“Officials should never indulge themselves, never cross the line, never break the rule, and improve immunity to corruption,” he said.

Xi underlined a “clean and upright” political ecology and urged leading officials to uphold the rule of law. Leading officials should demonstrate leadership and set an example, he said.

Xi, regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in recent years, carried out an extensive anti-graft campaign in the last five years in which over 1.5 million officials, including 101 ministerial level officials and top generals of the military were punished.

He is also accused by his critics of making use of the anti-graft drive to consolidate his power by removing his adversaries in the party and government.

In his interaction with deputies, Xi asked officials to uphold the rule of law, oppose the rule of man, hold in awe of the Constitution, and exercise their duty within the boundaries of the Constitution and laws.

Leading officials should also promote core socialist values and prevent relapse of negative elements in traditional values, he said. The officials should uphold the political virtue, public virtue, individual virtue by refraining from corruption.

He warned that an official should keep both himself and the whole family “clean”.