Beijing: Xi Jinping's Party tightens grip on power

Of the 44 military officials appointed to China’s Central Committee in 2022, only two remain in their posts. The Asia Society Policy Institute provided this estimate as the Fifth Plenum began in Beijing on Monday. This gathering marks the start of a four-day closed-door session involving roughly 300 senior Communist Party members. The meeting aims to shape the ruling party’s direction in the lead-up to the next Party Congress.

State media described the session as a step toward stricter discipline within the Party’s ranks. The timing is deliberate. It occurs one year before the next Party Congress, which will set new national priorities and appoint a fresh central committee. Although the Central Committee officially selects top leadership, the internal selection process remains secretive. The next Congress is expected to reappoint President Xi Jinping as leader, a move made possible by the earlier abolition of term limits.

Past plenums have served as platforms for major ideological shifts. They were the venues where Xi was declared the core of the Party and where his personal philosophy was elevated to the same status as Chairman Mao’s. This year’s agenda focuses on aligning views and ensuring delegate loyalty before the larger Congress. The session will wrap up on Thursday, though the specific location has not been publicly announced. Previous plenums have typically been held inside Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel.

A readout from the 21-member Politburo in September indicated the plenum would adopt decisions on advancing comprehensive strict governance. Analysts interpret this as a measure to ensure obedience from distant party officials. Delegates attending the session face a tense atmosphere due to recent purges. Allegations of corruption, including what experts term moral corruption, have resulted in the removal of many senior figures. Experts note that moral corruption is often used as a pretext to crack down on perceived disloyalty to Xi.

The recent culling has also affected the military hierarchy. The seven-man Central Military Commission, which oversees China’s armed forces, has been reduced to only two members: Xi Jinping and one other general. This plenum offers Xi an opportunity to appoint new officers to that body. The secretive nature of the annual plenums means that detailed decisions and summaries will only become public after the session concludes. These documents are closely watched as signals of the leadership’s shifting priorities.

The four-day session serves as a strategic checkpoint for the leadership. By dictating strategy now, the leadership aims to ensure that delegates are aligned before the larger Congress convenes. The process reinforces the internal cohesion of the Party elite. The outcome will determine the structure of the Central Military Commission and the broader disciplinary framework for the coming years.