Xi Jinping Convenes Communist Party Elite to Determine China’s Future
Chinese President Xi Jinping opened an important meeting of Communist Party elites in Beijing on Monday (26 October 2026). The closed-door gathering is under scrutiny because it could offer clues about the country’s policy direction and the future shape of its leadership.
Around 300 members of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee attended the meeting, known as the fifth plenum, state news agency Xinhua reported, according to AFP. A key item on the agenda is tightening internal party discipline, including tackling corruption and improving officials’ effectiveness and loyalty.
Xi opened the plenum by presenting a draft Central Committee decision that “sets out strategic plans to strengthen the Party’s self-governance in a comprehensive and rigorous manner”.
The meeting is being held under tight security and behind closed doors. Details of the discussions are expected to emerge only after the plenum ends on Thursday (29 October 2026).
The timing is significant, as the plenum comes ahead of next year’s major Communist Party congress. At that congress, 73-year-old Xi is almost certain to secure a historic fourth term and oversee a reshuffle of the leadership.
Previous plenums have also provided opportunities for Xi to further consolidate his power.
Over the past 14 years, Xi has led an anti-corruption campaign that has removed thousands of officials, including dozens of Central Committee members. However, he continues to face problems with some cadres who are seen as failing to carry out his instructions fully.
Ahead of the plenum, state media published an article referring to a speech Xi delivered last January. In it, Xi criticised two-faced officials who appear to obey the central government’s directives but secretly “resist from within”, promote “individualism” and behave in a “politically opportunistic” manner.
Analysts told AFP that Xi is seeking to improve cadres’ effectiveness and loyalty through tighter oversight and the introduction of additional rules.
The wave of removals in the anti-corruption campaign is expected to affect attendance at this year’s plenum. The number of Central Committee members attending is predicted to be the lowest since Chinese leader Mao Zedong died in 1976.
Eight seats on the Central Committee are currently vacant. Another 15 members are under investigation and risk being replaced.
Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has also targeted the military. Five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Party’s highest body overseeing the armed forces, have been removed from their posts.
The Asia Society Policy Institute noted that of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have neither been removed nor disappeared from public view.
The plenum could result in the appointment of new members to the CMC. However, the Communist Party of China could also defer filling the positions until next year’s congress. Another option is for Xi to restructure the Party’s control over China’s vast military.
The meeting is taking place as the world’s second-largest economy continues to face a number of pressures. Domestic spending has yet to show a strong recovery, while the prolonged crisis in the property sector continues to weigh on the economy.
China’s turbulent political and economic relations with the United States also pose a challenge for leaders in Beijing.