The existence of the one-party state is “endemic corruption” by definition. For Hsi to “crack down” on that, he would have had to wipe out the CPC and institute multi-party rule while rewriting the constitution to match the US Constitution. Instead, he’s strutting around in Mao jackets and preaching “socialism with Chinese characteristics”, which smacks of national socialism.
China like Russia has been run by autocratic rulers and civil society is only gradually emerging in those countries.
In Xi’s youth, China had the chaotic and destructive Cultural Revolution. The anarchy and assault on Chinese values and governing institutions left a lasting impression on many of the current elite.
As a result, they favor stability over freedom. Its a Chinese version of Catch-22 you must have a strong government, rule of law and free markets in place before you can have democracy.
In today’s China, the latter takes a back seat to the former in terms of national development.