Beijing Plenum: Xi to Rebuild Military Ranks After Purges

Xi Jinping is using the Fifth Plenum of the Communist Party of China to restructure the party's leadership structure. The four-day session began on Monday, October 26, and involves approximately 300 members of the Central Committee. State media indicated that the gathering aims to tighten discipline within the party. This move follows recent waves of purges that have left key positions empty.

The plenum is scheduled to conclude on Thursday. While the specific location was not announced, previous sessions of this nature have taken place at the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing. A summary of the decisions and a detailed document are expected to be released after the meeting ends. The timing of the session is strategic, occurring one year before the next Party Congress. That upcoming congress will likely reappoint Xi as leader, a process enabled by the abolition of term limits.

The agenda focuses on comprehensive strict governance. A Politburo readout issued in September stated that the plenum would adopt decisions on major issues regarding this governance. Analysts view this as a mechanism to ensure obedience from distant party officials. The session also serves as a platform for Xi to align delegate views before the leadership vote at the next congress.

The most visible impact of recent purges is the thinning of military leadership. The Asia Society Policy Institute estimates that only two of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022 remain in office. The Central Military Commission, a seven-person body that commands the armed forces, has been reduced to two members. These are Xi Jinping and one other general.

This plenum provides the opportunity for Xi to appoint new officers to fill these vacancies. Delegates at the meeting are navigating the uncertainty of the current power structure. Recent allegations of corruption, including moral corruption, have removed large numbers of senior figures. Experts suggest that charges of moral corruption are often used to address perceived disloyalty to Xi, as disloyalty to the party can be framed as a breach of morality.

The next major political step is the upcoming Party Congress. This event will set new priorities and appoint a new central committee. Although the Central Committee officially selects the top leadership, the internal processes remain secret. The decisions made during these four days in Beijing will shape the composition of the leadership heading into that final stage.