42 Military Vacancies to Be Filled at Beijing Plenum

For roughly 300 members of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee, the next four days will be spent in closed-door sessions to fill gaps left by recent purges. The Fifth Plenum began Monday in Beijing and is scheduled to wrap up Thursday. State media indicated that the gathering aims to tighten discipline within the party’s ranks.

The meeting follows a wave of removals that has hollowed out key leadership positions. The Asia Society Policy Institute estimates that only two of the 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022 remain in their posts. This leaves 42 vacancies that President Xi Jinping is expected to address during the session.

The power structure of the military has shrunk similarly. The Central Military Commission, which commands the armed forces, previously operated with a larger leadership team. It has been whittled down to just two individuals: Xi Jinping and one other general. The plenum provides a mechanism for Xi to appoint new officers to this body and rebuild its capacity.

This gathering occurs one year before the next Party Congress, where a new central committee will be appointed. While the Congress formally selects top leadership, the plenum allows Xi to align views and ensure delegate loyalty ahead of that larger meeting. Past plenums have been used to cement Xi’s status as the core of the party and to abolish term limits, clearing the path for his indefinite tenure.

A readout from the 21-member Politburo in September stated that the plenum will adopt decisions on comprehensively strict governance of the party. Observers interpret this as a move to ensure obedience from distant officials. The location of the meeting was not announced, though previous plenums were held at the Jingxi Hotel in Beijing.

Delegates are navigating a tense atmosphere as they look around a room marked by empty chairs. Allegations of corruption and moral failings have led to the culling of senior figures. Experts note that charges of moral corruption serve as a tool to crack down on perceived disloyalty to Xi. The secrecy of the plenum means details will remain hidden until a summary and a more detailed document are made public after the session concludes.