China's man for any season

When Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to office 18 months ago pledging the biggest clamp-down on corruption since the launch of China's open door policy in 1978, he might well have envisaged an old friend from the days of the Cultural Revolution heading the charge. A friend who the nation has frequently turned to and whose trouble-shooting skills have earned him the moniker "the firefighter" within the Communist Party.

The man in question is Wang Qishan, one of seven members of the Central Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, the country's most powerful political organ, and the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Now 66, he is widely seen as one of China's smartest and most competent politicians, a reputation he has regularly proved he deserves. In the late 1990s, Wang successfully negotiated with foreign creditors during the Asian financial crisis. Then, during the SARS epidemic in 2003, he managed to stem mass panic when he was shown on TV visiting markets and hospitals. The Olympic Games of 2008 were hosted by Beijing when he was mayor.

The older gentleman with the prominent chin and thinning hair is China's go-to person in an emergency.

Undaunted

In his role as the head of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign, Wang Qishan is taking as no-nonsense an approach as ever. Since his appointment, not a day has gone by without a media mention of his name in conjunction with some corruption scandal or other. It is no wonder that the party cadre tremble in their boots at the sight of him. He doesn't let himself be intimidated by top-ranking politicians and business leaders, with over 30 senior officials arrested on his watch. In 2013, 182,000 party members were under investigation.

It is obvious why the government is taking such a hard line against graft. The public has had enough. This has ramped up the pressure, and that is where Xi steps in - even though it is unclear whether there might be ulterior motives afoot. In recent months, many have wondered if the Chinese leader might be attempting to remove powerful political adversaries. It is not out of the question. But be that as it may, the result is the same: Every single top politician and businessman in country knows that the fight against corruption is a serious one. It's only a matter of time before the next heads roll.

Unflagging

Wang's commitment is unflagging. At a party conference, he recently spoke without a script for 70 minutes to an audience of over 300 officials. The speech referred to the party's determination to continue tackling corruption, spelling out that the arrest of Zhou Yongkang, former member of the Politburo and chief of police, by no means marked the end of the campaign. Wang stressed that his inspectors would continue to patrol the country and that no one was safe from their eagle eyes. The goal, said Wang, was to ensure that party members would "not want to be corrupt, would not be able to be corrupt and would not dare to be corrupt."

The clarity of his message might well have made a few of his listeners a little hot under the collar, even ones who have nothing to hide. On the one hand, it is a positive sign that the campaign has made such a profound impression and could well have a deterrent effect. But it cannot be ruled out that fear is counter-productive, and there is a chance it will leave everyone afraid to make any decision at all out of concern it could be misconstrued. This would ultimately lead to a drop in foreign investment and business, and would have a negative impact on the Chinese economy.

The need for caution

Meanwhile, a few party officials look askance at the extent of Wang‘ power. The anti-corruption campaign has its detractors.

At the most recent gathering of the politburo, shortly after the corruption scandal concerning Zhou Yongkang, harsh words were reportedly spoken about the leader's plans. Xi Jinping will have to be careful to avoid further anger. But for now, Wang has nothing to fear. He can continue to rely on support from the top, as the president made clear at the Politburo meeting in July, announcing he would carry on with the anti-corruption crackdown without regard for "life or death or reputation."

DW columnist Frank Sieren is an expert on China and has lived in Beijing for 20 years.