BEIJING — China's Communist Party began a four-day meeting of its highest-ranking members in Beijing on Monday, targeting concrete measures for 'full and rigorous party self-governance', as President Xi Jinping seeks to reinforce his authority and enforce ideological uniformity, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters, Oct 26

Xi briefed the party's Central Committee on a draft document that state news agency Xinhua said addressed the challenges the party faced, including growing its governing capacity, as well as guarding against complacency and combating corruption, the president's signature campaign, Reuters reported. A party commentary cited in the report said the implementation of major Central Committee decisions 'must not be empty rhetoric' and called for institutional rules to be refined to close loopholes.

Source: Reuters, Oct 26

The closed-door session, known as the fifth plenum, runs from Monday to Thursday, October 29, and is the fifth full meeting of the Central Committee elected at the 20th Party Congress in 2022, the Seoul Economic Daily reported, citing Xinhua. Its main agenda items are deliberation on a draft decision to continue advancing 'comprehensive and strict party governance' and a work report from the Politburo, the report said.

Source: Seoul Economic Daily, Oct 26

4 daysLength of the fifth plenum in Beijing, October 26-29 (Xinhua via Seoul Economic Daily)
20thCentral Committee holding its fifth plenary session since the 2022 Party Congress (Reuters)
2027Year of the next Party Congress, where Xi is expected to seek a fourth term (Reuters / Seoul Economic Daily)

Why this plenum is about the party itself

Fifth plenums usually take up the next five-year economic development plan, but that was already discussed at last year's fourth plenum, so the focus this time has shifted to overhauling the party's management system, the Seoul Economic Daily reported. Analysts say this could be the last major party gathering before the 2027 leadership reshuffle, when Xi is expected to hold on to the top job for a fourth term, Reuters reported.

Xi has overseen a vast anti-corruption campaign in recent years which has led to the purge of hundreds of senior officials and top generals, even the president's one-time allies, Reuters reported. While critics argue the purges are destabilising, the party has portrayed the campaign as both necessary and regenerative, the report said.

Chinese markets traded cautiously as the plenum opened. Chinese blue chips lost ground on Monday as the Communist Party began its fifth plenum in Beijing, with the market falling amid concerns about domestic demand even as exports remain strong, Reuters reported in its global markets coverage.