Xi Jinping to fill empty seats at Beijing party plenum

Senior Chinese officials gather in Beijing for a closed-door meeting that will shape the ruling Communist Party’s structure in the coming years.

The Fifth Plenum convenes for four days, starting on Monday and ending on Thursday. State media reports indicate the session aims to tighten discipline within the Party’s ranks. Approximately 300 members of the Central Committee attend the event.

The timing of the gathering occurs one year before the next Party Congress. That upcoming congress will likely reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, following the earlier abolition of term limits. The plenum serves as a final alignment of strategy and loyalty before the larger assembly appoints a new central committee.

A readout from the 21-member Politburo in September outlined the agenda. It includes a decision on "several major issues persistently advancing the comprehensive strict governance of the Party." This language signals an effort to enforce obedience among distant party officials. The location of the meeting remains unannounced, though previous plenums have been held at the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing.

Recent purges have left noticeable vacancies among senior figures. Allegations of corruption and "moral corruption" have led to the removal of large groups of senior officials. Experts note that "moral corruption" is used to crack down on perceived disloyalty to Xi. This approach interprets disloyalty to the Party as a breach of personal morality.

The Asia Society Policy Institute estimates that only two of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022 remain. The seven-man Central Military Commission, which commands the armed forces, has been reduced to just two people: Xi Jinping and one other general. The current plenum provides Xi with the opportunity to appoint new officers to this body and fill the remaining vacancies.

Decisions made during the session will be summarized in a public document after the meeting concludes. The process remains secretive, with the Central Committee officially selecting top leadership while keeping the underlying selection methods within the Party elite. The outcome will set the tone for the leadership structure heading into the next Party Congress.