Chinese President Xi Jinping Criticizes Officials for Lack of Initiatives, Asks why they wait for Orders from the Top

Chinese President Xi Jinping has criticized the country’s vast bureaucracy over the lack of initiatives and waiting for his instructions before acting.

President Xi, 68, arguably China’s most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist Party of China (CPC), had expressed frustration over the lack of initiative among officials at an internal meeting in January and complained that too many waited for instructions from the top before acting.

As per a local media report, Xi told a plenary meeting of the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection – CPC’s top-anti corruption



body – “Some only get moving when they receive written edicts issued by the leadership and they would do nothing without such instructions.”

It was the first time his remarks at an internal meeting had been made public in a book published by the ruling Communist Party’s Central Party Literature Press last month.

“My written instructions are the last line of defense. If I did not hand out instructions, would these officials do any work?” said Xi.

He complained in the January meeting that some officials were good at paying lip service but “don’t walk the talk”.