Xi may tighten Party discipline at closed-door plenum ahead of Congress

China’s Communist Party is holding a four-day, closed-door Fifth Plenum, bringing together about 300 Central Committee members. State media says the meeting will address tighter discipline, giving Xi Jinping a chance to reinforce Party unity and his authority ahead of next year’s Party Congress.

The meeting is significant because the Congress is expected to reappoint Xi, who can remain in power after term limits were abolished. Recent corruption and loyalty-related purges have left many senior positions vacant: the Asia Society Policy Institute estimates that only two of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022 have not been removed. The Central Military Commission has also been reduced to Xi and one other general, creating an opportunity for new appointments.