Article 17: Disciplinary sanctions may be mitigated or reduced in any of the following circumstances:

　　(1) Actively confessing to issues for which one should be subject to disciplinary action by the Party;

　　(2) During the processes of conducting talks and written inquiries, preliminary verification, and case filing for investigation, to cooperate fully with the verification and investigation work and truthfully disclose the facts of one’s own disciplinary and legal violations;

　　(3) Reporting on co-defendants or other individuals who should be subject to disciplinary action by the Party or legal accountability, provided that such reports are verified as true, or demonstrating other meritorious service;

　　(4) Actively mitigating losses, eliminating adverse effects, or effectively preventing the occurrence of harmful consequences;

　　(5) Actively surrendering or reimbursing the proceeds of disciplinary violations;

　　(6) Other circumstances for lighter or reduced disciplinary sanctions as stipulated in Party regulations.

　　Article 18: In light of the special circumstances of a case, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection may, or the discipline inspection commissions at the provincial (ministerial) level (excluding those of sub-provincial cities) may, upon decision and with subsequent submission to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for approval, impose disciplinary sanctions on Party members who have violated Party discipline that are lighter than the range of sanctions prescribed in these Regulations.

　　Article 19: Where a Party member violates Party discipline and should be given a warning or a serious warning, but the circumstances fall under one of those specified in Article 17 of these Regulations or are otherwise provided for in the Special Part of these Regulations, the Party may instead impose criticism and education, order a self-inspection, issue a cautionary admonition, or take organizational measures, thereby exempting the individual from disciplinary action. Any decision to exempt a disciplinary violator from punishment shall be documented in writing.

　　Where a Party member exhibits nascent or emerging problems in conduct and discipline, or commits a minor violation of Party discipline, disciplinary measures such as admonitory talks, criticism and education, or orders to conduct self-examination may be imposed; alternatively, a cautionary admonition may be issued without imposing disciplinary sanctions.

　　If a Party member’s conduct results in losses or adverse consequences, but such outcomes are not due to intent or negligence and are instead caused by force majeure or other similar circumstances, no disciplinary accountability shall be imposed.

　　Article 20: Where any of the following circumstances exists, disciplinary measures shall be imposed more severely or with increased severity:

　　(1) Coercing or instigating others to violate discipline;

　　(2) Refusal to surrender or reimburse illicit gains;

　　(3) After having been disciplined for a violation of discipline, one again commits an intentional violation of discipline that warrants disciplinary action by the Party;

　　(4) After having been disciplined for a violation of discipline, additional violations that should have been subject to Party disciplinary action but were not disclosed prior to the imposition of the original disciplinary measure are subsequently discovered;

　　(5) Other circumstances for imposing more severe or aggravated disciplinary sanctions as stipulated in Party regulations.

　　Article 21: Where a Party member, during the period of impact of a disciplinary sanction, incurs another disciplinary sanction, the period of impact shall be the sum of the unexpired period of the original sanction and the period of impact of the new sanction.

　　Article 22. A mitigated disciplinary sanction refers to the imposition of a less severe sanction within the range of sanctions prescribed in these Regulations for the misconduct in question.

　　Aggravated disciplinary action refers to the imposition of a more severe penalty within the range of penalties prescribed in these Regulations for the misconduct in question.

　　Article 23. Mitigation of disciplinary sanctions refers to the imposition of a sanction one level lower than the range prescribed in these Regulations for the misconduct in question.

　　Aggravated disciplinary action refers to imposing a penalty one level higher than the range prescribed in these Regulations for the respective violation.

　　Disciplinary violations that, under these Regulations, are subject only to the penalty of expulsion from the Party shall not be subject to the provision in paragraph 1 regarding mitigation of punishment.

　　Article 24 Where a Party member commits two or more violations as stipulated in these Regulations that each merit disciplinary action by the Party, such violations shall be dealt with jointly, and the penalty imposed shall be one level more severe than the highest penalty applicable to any of the violations; if any one of the violations warrants expulsion from the Party, the penalty of expulsion from the Party shall be imposed.

　　Article 25: Where a single violation of discipline simultaneously contravenes two or more provisions of these Regulations, the case shall be characterized and handled in accordance with the provision imposing the more severe disciplinary sanction.

　　Where the constituent elements of a disciplinary violation stipulated in one provision are entirely subsumed within those stipulated in another provision, and where the special provision is inconsistent with the general provision, the special provision shall prevail.

　　Article 26: Where two or more persons jointly commit a violation of discipline with intent, the ringleader shall be subject to more severe disciplinary action, unless otherwise provided in these Regulations; the other members shall each be disciplined in accordance with the role they played in the joint violation and the responsibilities they bear.

　　Where multiple individuals jointly violate discipline in economic matters, disciplinary measures shall be imposed separately based on each individual’s respective amount of involvement and the role they played. For ringleaders in such joint violations who have committed serious offenses, disciplinary action shall be taken in accordance with the total amount involved in the joint violation.

　　Anyone who instigates others to violate Party discipline shall be held accountable under Party discipline in accordance with the role they played in the joint violation.

　　Article 27: Where a Party leadership body collectively makes a decision that violates Party discipline or engages in other conduct that violates Party discipline, members who act with common intent shall be treated as having jointly violated discipline; members who violate discipline through negligence shall be disciplined separately in accordance with the role each played in the collective violation and the responsibility each should bear.