The top echelon of the Chinese Communist Party held a four-day closed-door session in Beijing this week, with Xi Jinping signaling he would deepen the anti-corruption campaign and ensure party officials demonstrate more loyalty and initiative at all levels.
The session focused on strict leadership and discipline inside the CCP. The press release praised Xi Jinping for 'enormous political courage and strong sense of responsibility' in tackling corruption and the weakening of the Party's governance, and emphasized the need to 'consistently advance comprehensive and strict Party leadership.'
Xi recently spoke of identifying and removing 'two-faced functionaries' from the political system, describing them as 'political opportunists.' In a speech published in mid-October, he referred to people professing loyalty to the central leadership while working against its instructions and following their own 'individualistic' goals, and criticized officials who use harmony as an excuse to stand aside when problems arise.
Kerry Brown, head of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, said Xi wants to minimize potential sources of instability amid international tensions and internal economic difficulties. 'This is just going to intensify because if [the CCP] isn't disciplined and united, the party believes that it will go the same way as everywhere else in the world at the moment and become disunited and unstable,' Brown told DW. He noted that the party faces a dilemma: if officials are expected to show initiative, control could weaken and corruption could rise, but if pressure is ramped up, initiative may be suppressed. He described the party as 'very, very risk averse.'
Chong Ja Ian, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said party functionaries under Xi have limited space to make their own decisions. 'I believe Xi would like for the officials to act proactively and decisively by conducting specific tasks; but he still doesn't want them thinking for themselves so much that they can question the agenda he prescribed. The "proactivity" demanded by Xi is limited to the implementation, not decision-making,' he told DW.
Succession is a major factor in Xi's push for internal stability. Xi is 73 and is highly likely to be confirmed as party general secretary next fall, potentially staying until 2032 after changes he pushed in 2018 removed term limits for state and party leaders. 'There's always a danger of differences in the party fragmenting it, especially when the question of succession comes up,' Brown said. 'He can't go on forever.' Chong said Xi could be afraid his authority would be undermined if he named a successor ahead of time, while failing to prepare in time could create a power vacuum that can cause major instability.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Xi's tightening of discipline may further concentrate power and reduce internal debate, affecting China's governance and economic policy direction.
- The anti-corruption campaign has already reshaped the party and government; intensifying it could have wide-ranging consequences for officials at all levels.
- China's stability under Xi has global implications for trade, security, and international relations.
Background
Xi has consolidated power since becoming general secretary in 2012, launching a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. In 2018, he removed term limits for state and party leaders, allowing him to potentially remain in office indefinitely. The CCP regularly holds closed-door plenums, and this one focused on party discipline amid economic difficulties and international tensions.
Key Perspectives
Kerry Brown, head of the Lau China Institute at King's College London: Says Xi wants to minimize instability and that the party believes discipline is necessary to avoid disunity, fearing it will go the same way as other countries and become 'disunited and unstable.' He notes the party is 'very, very risk averse' and faces a dilemma between control and initiative.
Chong Ja Ian, political scientist at the National University of Singapore: Says officials have limited space to make decisions, and the proactivity Xi demands is limited to implementation, not decision-making. He notes the dilemma of succession: naming a successor could undermine Xi, but failing to prepare could create a power vacuum.
What to Watch
- Whether Xi is formally confirmed as party general secretary at the next party congress next fall.
- Any signs of 'two-faced functionaries' being purged, indicating the intensity of the loyalty campaign.
- Public statements from CCP officials about economic performance and stability, as economic difficulties are a backdrop.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedXi demands more loyalty and initiative from party officials.DW English: “Xi Jinping ... signaled he would not only deepen the existing anti-corruption effort, but also ensure that party officials demonstrate more loyalty and more initiative at all levels.”
- SupportedAnalysts say the discipline push could suppress initiative.DW English: “if CCP leaders lean more on the "strict Party leadership" aspect and ramp up the pressure on the rank-and-file, there is also the danger of suppressing initiative.”
- SupportedSuccession is a major concern in Xi's push for internal stability.DW English: “Both analysts told DW that the issue of succession plays a major role in Xi's push towards internal stability.”
- SupportedThe CCP's top echelon held a four-day session behind closed doors in Beijing this week.DW English: “The top echelon of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held a four-day session behind closed doors in Beijing this week”
- SupportedThe session focused on strict leadership and discipline inside the ruling party.DW English: “with the talks focusing on strict leadership and discipline inside the ruling party.”
- SupportedThe press release praised Xi for "enormous political courage and strong sense of responsibility" in tackling corruption and the weakening of Party governance.DW English: “the committee published a resolution praising the leadership and Xi Jinping for "enormous political courage and strong sense of responsibility" in tackling the issues of corruption and the weakening of the Party's governance.”
- SupportedXi spoke of identifying and removing "two-faced functionaries," describing them as "political opportunists," and criticized officials who use harmony as an excuse to stand aside.DW English: “Xi also recently spoke of the necessity to identify and remove "two-faced functionaries" from the political system. ... The Chinese president described them as "political opportunists." He also criticized party officials pretending to be "nice guys," as in, those who use harmony as an excuse to stand aside when problems arise.”
- SupportedBrown said the pressure to discipline and unite the party would intensify.DW English: “"This is just going to intensify because if [the CCP] isn't disciplined and united, the party believes that it will go the same way as everywhere else in the world at the moment and become disunited and unstable," Brown told DW.”
- SupportedBrown said tighter pressure could suppress initiative and described the party as "very, very risk averse."DW English: “if CCP leaders lean more on the "strict Party leadership" aspect and ramp up the pressure on the rank-and-file, there is also the danger of suppressing initiative. ... The party is "very, very risk averse," Brown points out.”
- SupportedChong said Xi wants officials to implement tasks proactively but not question his agenda; proactivity is limited to implementation, not decision-making.DW English: “"I believe Xi would like for the officials to act proactively and decisively by conducting specific tasks; but he still doesn't want them thinking for themselves so much that they can question the agenda he prescribed. The 'proactivity' demanded by Xi is limited to the implementation, not decision-making," he told DW.”
- SupportedXi is 73, is highly likely to be confirmed as party general secretary next fall, and could remain in the position until 2032 after changes he pushed in 2018 removed term limits for state and party leaders.DW English: “Outside observers are also focusing on Xi's future and possible successors for the 73-year-old leader. For now, Xi seems to be firmly in control. It is highly likely that he would be confirmed as the party's general secretary next fall, and could stay in that position until 2032. This is due to the changes pushed by Xi in 2018, which removed term limits for state and party leaders.”
- SupportedChong said Xi may fear that naming a successor would undermine his authority, while a failure to prepare could create a power vacuum and major instability.DW English: “the CCP leader could be afraid of his authority being undermined if he named a successor ahead of time. "On the other hand, a failure to make preparations on time could create a power vacuum that can cause major instability," he told DW.”