Xi launches high-stakes Communist Party conclave ahead of expected fourth term

A fifth plenum is the fifth full meeting, or plenary session, of a Communist Party Central Committee during its term. It brings senior Party members together to discuss major policies and internal priorities. This meeting matters because its decisions can shape China’s political direction before the next Party congress.

At this session, Xi Jinping presented a draft decision on “full and rigorous Party self-governance.” State media said the plan would strengthen discipline, reduce corruption, and make cadres more effective and loyal. The meeting is closed-door, so detailed decisions are expected only after it ends.

The current plenum is especially significant because it precedes next year’s Party congress. Previous plenums helped Xi consolidate authority. The session may also address leadership changes, including possible appointments to the Central Military Commission. Authorities are expected to publish a summary of the outcomes on Thursday.

The meeting is attended by roughly 300 members of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, according to the article. They are among the Party’s senior decision-makers and are meeting under tight security in Beijing. Their role is to discuss Party priorities and approve or advance major internal decisions.

The article does not provide a separate figure for the Central Committee’s full membership. It does say that eight Central Committee seats are vacant and that another 15 members are under investigation. Those numbers show that the body’s active membership has been reduced by Xi’s purges.

In practical terms, this is a large but increasingly disrupted leadership group. The plenum could produce replacements or other personnel changes. Its attendance also reflects the consequences of the anti-corruption campaign, which has removed or sidelined many officials who would otherwise participate.

The plenum matters because it takes place before next year’s major Party congress. The congress is expected to give Xi Jinping a historic fourth term and oversee a reshuffle of the leadership. Decisions and personnel signals emerging from the plenum can therefore prepare the Party for that larger event.

Xi has used earlier plenums to strengthen his authority. This meeting is also examining discipline, corruption, and cadre loyalty. Officials who support central directives may gain influence, while those considered resistant or politically opportunistic could face pressure. The plenum thus links policy decisions with leadership management.

Its timing also creates uncertainty. Several Central Committee members are under investigation, and eight seats are vacant. The Party may appoint replacements or make changes to the Central Military Commission now, or wait until next year’s congress. The meeting’s final summary should clarify some of these choices.

Xi’s phrase refers to the Party governing and disciplining itself more strictly. The draft decision presented at the plenum sets out strategic plans for stronger internal oversight. Its stated aims include reducing corruption and making cadres more effective and loyal to the Party’s central leadership.

The concern is not only open disobedience. State media quoted Xi criticizing “two-faced” officials who appear to comply but “inwardly resist.” He also condemned individualism and political opportunism. Analysts said Xi wants more supervision and rules so cadres implement his orders consistently.

This focus follows a 14-year anti-corruption campaign that has purged thousands of officials. Yet Xi remains frustrated by officials he believes are not carrying out his policies. The current plenum may tighten disciplinary systems further, but the purges have also left seats vacant and reduced the Central Committee’s turnout.

Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive has lasted 14 years and reached deeply into the Communist Party. It has purged thousands of officials, including dozens of Central Committee members. The campaign is presented as a way to reduce corruption, enforce discipline, and make officials more effective and loyal.

Its impact is visible in the Central Committee’s membership. Eight seats are vacant, while another 15 members are under investigation and at risk of replacement. The article says this could give the plenum its lowest turnout since former leader Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. The figures show how personnel investigations have disrupted the Party’s senior ranks.

The campaign also extends into the military. Five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission have been toppled. Of 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been purged or disappeared, according to the Asia Society Policy Institute.

The Central Military Commission, or CMC, is the Party’s top armed-forces body. It oversees political control of China’s military. Its membership therefore matters not only for military administration but also for who holds influence over the country’s vast armed forces.

Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has already toppled five of the CMC’s seven members. The article also says that, among 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been purged or disappeared. These figures show an unusually broad turnover among senior military figures.

The plenum could appoint new CMC members, leave the vacancies until next year’s Party congress, or restructure Party control over the military. Any replacement would change the senior command team. It would also demonstrate how Xi is balancing the need for a functioning military leadership with his demand for loyalty and discipline.

China’s one-party system allows the Communist Party to dominate political decision-making because no rival party competes for national power. The Party sets broad direction, chooses its senior leadership, and places Party officials throughout the government. This gives Party decisions authority over state administration and leadership succession.

The article shows this structure through the Central Committee and the Party congress. The Central Committee discusses strategic plans, while the congress handles major leadership reshuffles. The Central Military Commission is described as the Party’s top armed-forces body, showing that military authority is also organized through Party institutions.

This system makes internal Party discipline especially important. Xi is using supervision, anti-corruption investigations, and personnel changes to enforce compliance. The plenum may replace officials, adjust the military leadership, or reshape Party control. These decisions matter because the Party’s internal choices guide China’s government, leadership, and armed forces.