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

Roughly 300 members of the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee in attendance at the meeting, called the fifth plenum, will be looking to tighten discipline within their ranks, according to state media. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 26 Oct 2026 2:35 PM MYT

BEIJING, Oct 26 — President Xi Jinping opened a key meeting of Communist Party elites in Beijing today, state media said, which observers will be closely watching for clues as to the country’s direction and future leadership.

Roughly 300 members of the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee in attendance at the meeting, called the fifth plenum, will be looking to tighten discipline within their ranks, according to state media.

That includes measures to reduce corruption and make cadres more effective and loyal.

Xi opened the session on Monday, presenting a draft decision by the Central Committee that “sets out strategic plans for strengthening full and rigorous Party self-governance”, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Few details from the closed-door gathering, held under tight security, will be made known until it concludes on Thursday, but the timing of the meeting is crucial.

The fifth plenum comes ahead of a major party congress next year, where 73-year-old Xi is almost certain to secure a historic fourth term and oversee a leadership reshuffle.

Previous plenums have represented key moments for Xi to cement his authority.

The Chinese leader has waged a 14-year campaign against corruption that has purged thousands of officials, including dozens of the Central Committee.

Yet he remains frustrated with cadres he deems are not implementing his orders.

State media published an article ahead of the plenum, based on a speech Xi gave in January in which he railed against “two-faced” officials who appear to comply with central directives but “inwardly resist”, pursue “individualism” and are “politically opportunistic”.

Analysts told AFP that Xi is trying to maximise efficiency and loyalty among cadres by imposing more supervision and rules.

But as a result of his expansive purges, this year’s plenum is expected to have the lowest turnout since former leader Mao Zedong’s death in 1976.

Eight of the Central Committee’s seats lie vacant, with another 15 members under investigation and at risk of being replaced.

Xi’s anti-corruption drive has also targeted the military, toppling five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the party’s top armed forces body.

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 plenum could see new members appointed to the CMC; the party could wait until next year’s congress to replenish it; or Xi might even restructure party control over its vast military.

The talks also come at an unsteady time for the world’s second-largest economy, which has struggled to address persistently sluggish domestic spending and a protracted crisis in the crucial property sector.

Turbulent political and economic ties with the United States are also weighing on China’s leaders.

Authorities are expected to release a summary of the outcomes after the meeting concludes on Thursday. — AFP