See Yuen Yuen Ang's model that unbundle corruption, TLDR is PRC bureaucrats are mostly involved in "access money", i.e. elite "exchanges" to get things done (ba

See Yuen Yuen Ang's model that unbundle corruption, TLDR is PRC bureaucrats are mostly involved in "access money", i.e. elite "exchanges" to get things done (basically lobbying in the west). When aligned with CCP bureaucrats incentivized to hit performance KPIs according to development goals, whereby getting shit done increase access to to greater tiers of corruption / personal gain, it forms a system where corruption is aligned with competency and state interests. CCP officials have to be very good at getting shit done to get promoted to get access to the big graft bux. They want to do well in their tier3 city postings where they can graft thousands and be promoted to tier1 city where they can graft millions. That frequently involves patronage networks with other competent performers. Years ago this was also noted by Yukon Huang, former World Bank director for China, Russia, and Former Soviet Union Republics, where he observed that PRC is the only country where increased corruption is correlated to increased growth - a paradox according to classical development theories. Essentially everywhere else corruption leads to inefficient allocation because corruption always almost not aligned with state interest. There elite are more just strait up involved in "grand" theft because the system is not aligned to make corruption contingent on realizing state goals. Of course at some point the corruption becomes so much that it affects social fabric, hence Xi's anti corruption drive that some think may have gone over board with respect to development because wheels stopped being greased due to fear/paralysis, no one want to do anythign for little reward or worse.