China's big political meeting could see Xi 'tighten discipline' in Party

China’s major political meeting may see Xi “tighten discipline” in the Party

Plenums are, in effect, closed-door meetings of the Party’s central committee that take place at least once a year

A major political gathering is now under way in China’s capital, with a closed-door meeting of senior officials that could help determine the future shape of the ruling Communist Party.

The Fifth Plenum brings together about 300 members of the Central Committee, and state media said it would set the stage for a “tightening of discipline” within the Party’s ranks.

The four-day meeting, which began on Monday, gives Xi Jinping a chance to further strengthen his hold on power after recent purges.

Although the annual Plenums are usually highly secretive, a summary of the decisions and a more detailed document will be released afterward.

They are essentially closed-door meetings of the Party’s central committee that happen at least once a year.

There are typically seven plenums in each five-year Central Committee term, and they are closely watched from a distance because they are intended to signal the leadership’s priorities.

The timing of this year’s meeting matters because it comes a year before the next Party Congress, when a new set of priorities is established and a new central committee is appointed.

Officially, the Central Committee chooses the Party’s top leadership, but the real process behind those selections is kept secret within the Party elite.

The next Party Congress will almost certainly return Xi as the country’s leader, after term limits were abolished.

Previous plenum sessions have been used to declare Xi “the core” of the Party, remove term limits that cleared the way for him to stay in power indefinitely, and raise his personal ideology — branded as “Xi Jinping Thought” — to the same level as Chairman Mao.

This year’s plenum offers Xi a chance to set strategy ahead of the Congress, making sure views are aligned and delegates remain loyal.

Even the venue for the meeting, which ends on Thursday, has not been disclosed. In the past, plenums have been held at Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel.

According to a readout from the powerful 21-member Politburo this September, the plenum will adopt a decision on “several major issues persistently advancing the comprehensive strict governance of the Party,” which is being interpreted as a move to further ensure obedience and effectiveness among distant party officials.

That also means it is likely to be a tense moment for delegates, who may look around the room at the “empty chairs” left by the scale of recent purges inside the Party.

Accusations of corruption, including “moral corruption,” have led to the removal of large numbers of senior figures.

Experts have viewed “moral corruption” as a way of targeting perceived disloyalty to Xi, since broader disloyalty to the Party can be treated as a violation of “morality.”

The Asia Society Policy Institute has estimated that of 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been taken down.

The all-powerful seven-man Central Military Commission, which oversees China’s armed forces, has also been reduced to just two people: Xi Jinping and one other general.

This Plenum gives him a chance to appoint new officers to that body.