President Xi Jinping Opens Key Party Meeting Ahead of Congress

China – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – President Xi Jinping opened a key meeting of the Communist Party’s top leaders in Beijing on Monday, according to Chinese state media. The gathering is known as the fifth plenum, and it will run until Thursday.

About 300 members of the party’s Central Committee are taking part. The talks are held behind closed doors under tight security, so very little detail will come out until the meeting ends.

Xinhua news agency said Xi presented a draft decision at the start of the session. It lays out plans to make the party’s self-governance stronger and stricter.

In simple terms, the leadership wants tighter discipline. State media says this includes steps to cut corruption and make officials more effective and loyal.

The timing matters a lot. A major party congress will take place next year. Many observers believe Xi, who is 73, will almost certainly win a historic fourth term there. A reshuffle of the top leadership is also expected.

Earlier plenums have often helped Xi strengthen his hold on power. Analysts will watch this one closely for clues about China’s direction and who may lead the country in the future.

Xi has run an anti-corruption campaign for 14 years. It has removed thousands of officials, including dozens of Central Committee members. Still, he appears unhappy with cadres who do not carry out his orders.

Before the meeting, state media shared an article based on a speech Xi made in January. In it, he criticised “two-faced” officials who seem to follow central orders but “inwardly resist” them. He also warned against selfish behaviour and political opportunism.

Analysts told AFP that Xi wants more efficiency and loyalty from cadres. His method is more supervision and more rules.

The purges have a clear cost, though. This year’s plenum is expected to have the lowest turnout since Mao Zedong died in 1976. Eight Central Committee seats are empty, and another 15 members are under investigation and could be replaced.

The military has been hit hard too. Five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission, the party’s top armed forces body, have been toppled. The Asia Society Policy Institute says that of 44 military members named to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have avoided being purged or disappearing.

Because of this, the plenum could name new members to the commission. The party might also wait until next year’s congress to fill those posts. Another possibility is that Xi changes how the party controls the vast military.

The economy is another worry. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is still dealing with weak household spending and a long crisis in its property sector. Tense relations with the United States add more pressure on its leaders.

A summary of the results is expected after the meeting ends on Thursday. Until then, President Xi Jinping’s plans will remain a topic of close attention.