Xi Jinping to fill military gaps at four-day party plenum

Beijing is hosting a closed-door session of the Communist Party's central committee, bringing together roughly 300 senior members to address a leadership vacuum. The fifth plenum, which began on Monday and concludes on Thursday, is expected to focus on tightening internal discipline. This move aims to solidify Xi Jinping's control following a series of high-profile removals from key posts.

The primary driver for this meeting is the drastic reduction in military leadership. The Asia Society Policy Institute calculated that only two of the 44 military members appointed to the central committee in 2022 remain in their roles. The Central Military Commission, the body that directs China's armed forces, has shrunk to just two members: Xi and one other general. The plenum provides the mechanism to appoint new officers to this powerful seven-person board.

Officials describe the session as a step toward comprehensive strict governance of the party. A statement from the 21-member Politburo in September indicated the meeting would adopt decisions on advancing this strict governance. Analysts interpret this language as a tool to enforce obedience among distant party officials. The timing is critical because the next Party Congress, which sets new priorities and appoints the central committee, is scheduled for next year.

Delegates are likely to navigate the room with caution, given the number of empty chairs left by recent purges. Charges of corruption, including moral failings, have removed large swaths of senior figures. Experts note that moral corruption is often used to target perceived disloyalty, as disloyalty to the party can be framed as a breach of personal morality. This creates an environment of nervousness among attendees who are being evaluated for future roles.

The location of the meeting remains unannounced, though past plenums have been held at Beijing's Jingxi Hotel. These sessions are typically secretive, with detailed documents and summaries released only after the conclusion. Historically, plenums have been used to declare Xi as the core of the party, abolish term limits, and elevate his personal philosophy to the same status as Chairman Mao's.

With one year remaining before the next Congress, Xi aims to dictate strategy and ensure delegate loyalty. The congress will almost certainly reappoint him as leader, a possibility opened up by the previous removal of term limits. The decisions made this week will signal the leadership's priorities and set the stage for the formal reappointment of the central committee next year.