China’s political leaders have begun a four-day closed-door meeting to strengthen discipline within the ruling Communist Party, as President Xi Jinping presses for greater loyalty and intensifies his long-running anti-corruption campaign.
The fifth plenum of the party’s Central Committee opened on Monday with about 300 members attending. The gathering is being closely watched for signals about China’s future direction and possible leadership changes ahead of next year’s expected confirmation of Xi’s fourth five-year term as party leader.
Analysts say the session gives Xi another opportunity to align officials more closely with Beijing’s priorities.
“The plenum is a chance to ensure the new generations rising through the ranks share Xi’s assessment of the opportunities and risks China faces,” Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at London’s Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, told The Associated Press.
During the meeting, the committee will discuss a draft policy decision on advancing “full and rigorous party self-governance,” according to the official Xinhua news agency. The push aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
Xi has led a 14-year anti-corruption drive that has removed thousands of officials, including dozens of Central Committee members. In a January speech released ahead of the plenum, he criticised “two-faced” officials who appear to comply with directives but “inwardly resist,” describing them as “politically opportunistic” and driven by “individualism.”
Neil Thomas, senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, expects demands for tighter scrutiny of public spending and major projects, greater use of technology to detect corruption, and tougher consequences for officials who fail to deliver on Xi’s priorities.
Because of the extensive purges, this year’s plenum is expected to record the lowest turnout since the death of former leader Mao Zedong in 1976. Eight Central Committee seats are vacant and another 15 members are under investigation.
The anti-corruption campaign has also hit the military, removing five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission. The plenum could see new appointments to the body and possible changes to the party’s control over the armed forces.
The talks take place against a backdrop of sluggish domestic demand, a prolonged property sector crisis and strained political and economic relations with the United States.
