In Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party has gathered its senior circle behind closed doors for a four-day plenum, a meeting that long ago became a quiet barometer of where power in the country is heading. Around 300 Central Committee members are assembled in a room where many seats now sit empty, the aftermath of purges carried out under the banner of corruption and moral failing. Placed within the longer arc of the Party's history, the session marks a moment when discipline is being tightened ahead of a leadership reshuffle that is expected to confirm Xi Jinping's dominance. What emerges from
Xi Jinping's Party Plenum Opens in Beijing Amid Purges and a Push for Tighter Discipline
A room with many "empty chairs"
Mark
Why does a meeting nobody can see into matter so much?
Mimi
Because plenums are meant to signal priorities. This one is a year before the Party Congress, so it sets the ground for who and what comes next.
Luke
Though we should be clear: the agenda is inferred. The only official wording we have is the Politburo's September readout and state media's phrase about tightening discipline.
Mark
What does "strict governance of the Party" actually mean?
Mimi
It's being read as a push for obedience and effectiveness from distant party officials. That's an interpretation of the wording, not a stated aim.
Luke
Right, and the same goes for "moral corruption." Experts see it as a way to target disloyalty to Xi. The Party hasn't described it that way.
Mark
The military numbers are striking.
Mimi
Of 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been taken down. And the seven-man Central Military Commission is down to Xi and one other general.
Luke
Worth noting that the 44 figure is an estimate from the Asia Society Policy Institute, not an official count.
Mark
Is Xi's position in doubt?
Mimi
Not by this account. He's almost certain to be reappointed at the next Congress.
Luke
And we don't know where the meeting is being held or what's said inside. What we'll get is a summary and a longer document afterward.
Il Polso
- Around 300 Central Committee members are meeting in secret in Beijing, and nobody outside knows the venue.
- Empty chairs mark the purges that have swept away many senior officials, making the room feel fragile and tense.
- State media promise a 'tightening of discipline', a phrase read as a push for obedience from officials far from the capital.
- The Central Military Commission has shrunk to just two members, leaving a pressing need for new appointments.
- Published decisions and any new military names on Thursday will show whether the Party is settling into a firmer order before next year's Congress.
In Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party has gathered its senior circle behind closed doors for a four-day plenum, a meeting that long ago became a quiet barometer of where power in the country is heading. Around 300 Central Committee members are assembled in a room where many seats now sit empty, the aftermath of purges carried out under the banner of corruption and moral failing. Placed within the longer arc of the Party's history, the session marks a moment when discipline is being tightened ahead of a leadership reshuffle that is expected to confirm Xi Jinping's dominance. What emerges from the secrecy will reveal how much the Party intends to be remade in his image.
A four-day closed-door meeting of the Chinese Communist Party's senior figures opened on Monday in Beijing, and its outcome could shape the Party for years to come. Around 300 Central Committee members are gathered for what is known as the Fifth Plenum, and state media have signalled that it will push a "tightening of discipline" through the Party's ranks. Plenums are usually where the leadership's priorities become visible, though the real decisions are shaped in secret long before they are announced.
This gathering comes a year before the next Party Congress, when a new leadership will be chosen. Past plenums have helped Xi Jinping consolidate his authority, from declaring him the Party's core to abolishing term limits and elevating his philosophy alongside Mao's. Many expect him to be reappointed at the Congress.
The mood among delegates is uneasy. Recent purges, many justified by corruption and "moral corruption" allegations, have left many chairs empty. The military has been hit hardest, and the Central Military Commission now has just two members. Thursday's published decisions, and any new names appointed to that body, will be the first clear signs of how the leadership will look going into the Congress.
A four-day closed-door meeting of the Chinese Communist Party's senior figures began on Monday in Beijing, and its outcome could shape what the ruling party looks like for years. Known as the Fifth Plenum, it gathers around 300 members of the Central Committee. State media have said it will pave the way for a "tightening of discipline" within the Party's ranks.
A plenum is a meeting of the Party's central committee, held behind closed doors at least once a year. Each five-year committee term usually includes seven of them, and outside observers watch them closely because they are meant to signal the leadership's priorities. This one falls a year before the next Party Congress, where a new set of priorities is set and a new central committee is appointed. Officially, the Central Committee selects the Party's top leadership, but the real process behind those choices stays secret within the elite. The next Congress is almost certain to reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, since term limits were abolished.
The meeting is secretive even by the standards of Chinese politics. Its location, which has not been announced, is unknown; earlier plenums were held inside Beijing's Jingxi Hotel. The session wraps up on Thursday, after which a summary of decisions and a more detailed document are due to be made public.
Past plenums have been used to advance Xi's position. They declared him "the core" of the Party, abolished term limits so that he can remain in power indefinitely, and raised his personal philosophy, branded "Xi Jinping Thought", to the same level as Chairman Mao's. This year's gathering gives him a chance to set strategy ahead of the Congress and to make sure views are aligned and delegates loyal.
The formal agenda was previewed in September by the 21-member Politburo. Its readout said the plenum would adopt a decision on "several major issues persistently advancing the comprehensive strict governance of the Party". That wording is being read as a way to secure greater obedience and effectiveness from distant party officials.
The backdrop is a wave of purges, which makes this a nervous occasion for delegates, who will look around a room with many "empty chairs". Allegations of corruption, including "moral corruption", have removed large numbers of senior figures. Experts see "moral corruption" as a tool against perceived disloyalty to Xi, because disloyalty to the Party can be treated as a breach of morality.
The military has been hit hardest. The Asia Society Policy Institute estimates that of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been taken down. The Central Military Commission, the seven-man body that runs China's armed forces, has been reduced to two people: Xi and one other general.
That leaves a plain vacancy problem, and the plenum is a chance for Xi to fill it by appointing new officers to the commission. The published decisions, and any new names on that body, will be the first concrete signs of how he intends to shape the leadership heading into the Congress.
Citazioni salienti
The plenum will adopt a decision on "several major issues persistently advancing the comprehensive strict governance of the Party".— Politburo readout, September
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Politics & Governance