China's leaders gather to discuss Communist Party discipline

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 08:01 · Archive

China's political elite have begun a four-day meeting to strengthen discipline within the ruling Communist Party under President Xi Jinping.

China's political elite have begun a four-door plenum meeting to discuss strengthening discipline within the ruling Communist Party. The gathering of roughly 300 members of the Communist Party's Central Committee started on Monday and will last four days. State media said it would pave the way for a 'tightening of discipline' within the party's ranks as President Xi Jinping pushes for greater loyalty from officials.

The timing is significant because it comes roughly a year before the next Party Congress, where Xi is widely expected to secure another five-year term as party leader and ahead of expected personnel changes to key leadership bodies. Past plenums have been used to consolidate Xi's authority, including declaring him 'the core' of the party and abolishing term limits that have allowed him to remain in power indefinitely.

Xi has waged a 14-year anticorruption campaign that has purged thousands of officials. Yet he remains frustrated with what he has called 'two-faced' officials who appear to comply with directives but 'inwardly resist', according to a January speech published by state media. Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at London's Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, told the Associated Press that the plenum gives Xi 'a chance to ensure the new generations rising through the ranks share Xi's assessment of the opportunities and risks China faces'.

How it is being reported

• China's big political meeting could see Xi 'tighten discipline' in PartyThe highly secretive four-day Plenum starts Monday in Beijing.BBC News · 26 Oct, 07:40
• China’s political elite gather for talks on Communist Party disciplineThe four-day meeting is being watched closely for clues as to the country's direction and future leadership.Al Jazeera · 26 Oct, 05:38

In this story: Xi Jinping · Communist Party of China · China · Beijing · Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem