At this moment, Chinese President Xi Jinping has one overriding priority: a successful 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which is expected to be held later this year. That meeting will pick the next generation of leadership for China, and many anticipate will enshrine Xi in the pantheon of Chinese leaders, perhaps even extending his tenure as party chief beyond 2022, when he would normally retire.

A successful Congress depends on several factors. One of them is a smoothly functioning economy that continues to improve the living standards of a majority of Chinese. Also critical is the absence of shocks, either internal or external, to confirm that the current leadership retains a firm grip on China and its neighborhood; North Korea tops that list of concerns. Third is the unity of the party, which in turn depends on Xi's demonstrated strength and support among leading cadres.

Central to that last concern is the ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which Xi launched upon taking office in 2012 and has served as a pillar of his presidency. Xi, along with other top officials, recognized that corruption was a cancer at the core of the party and failure to tackle this problem would ultimately undermine the legitimacy of CCP rule. Xi pledged to root out "tigers and flies," both senior and minor officials who had enriched themselves and their families; as of 2016, the party had arrested or convicted over 100 high-ranking officials, and more than 100,000 others have been indicted for corruption.