China’s focus on getting its house in order offers lessons in governance

Peter TC Chang is a research associate at the Malaysia-China Friendship Association and a former deputy director in the Institute of China Studies at University Malaya.

Published: 8:30pm, 8 Nov 2026

The Communist Party’s call for “self-revolution” may be rooted in the pursuit of internal discipline, but its implications extend well beyond China. As the global order faces mounting challenges, Beijing’s emphasis on internal renewal raises a fundamental question: can countries hope to contribute to global stability without first putting their own houses in order?

China’s fifth plenum placed considerable emphasis on combating corruption. Beijing has relentlessly pursued its campaign against both high-ranking “tigers” and lower-level “flies”, resulting in the downfall of officials across the party and state apparatus.

The concept of self-revolution marks an important evolution in this approach. Rather than relying on sporadic anti-corruption purges, the Communist Party seeks to institutionalise an ongoing process of internal renewal, strict accountability and political discipline.