China's Central Committee Faces Lowest Attendance Since 1976

Eight seats in China's Central Committee are currently vacant, and another 15 members face investigation, setting the stage for the lowest turnout at a party plenum since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. The political body convened on Monday for a four-day closed-door session. Approximately 300 members of the Central Committee attended the gathering.

President Xi Jinping is using the meeting to demand greater loyalty from officials. He has criticized cadres who appear to follow orders but internally resist his directives. In a January speech released by state media this week, Xi described these officials as two-faced and politically opportunistic. He noted that they often pursue individualism while failing to execute his commands.

The session comes roughly a year before Xi is expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader. Analysts view the plenum as a mechanism to align rising officials with Beijing's strategic priorities. Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, stated that the meeting allows Xi to ensure new generations of leaders share his assessment of China's risks and opportunities.

The committee will review a draft policy decision on advancing full and rigorous party self-governance. The goal is to make officials more disciplined and less corrupt. Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, predicts the session will call for closer scrutiny of public spending and major projects. He also expects a wider use of technology to detect corruption and tougher penalties for officials who miss performance targets.

Xi has led an anticorruption campaign for 14 years that has removed thousands of officials. The drive has extended into the military, where five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission have been removed. The plenum may introduce new appointments to that commission. It could also see Xi restructure the party's control over the armed forces.

The meeting occurs while China's economy faces persistent challenges. Domestic spending remains weak, and the property sector is in a prolonged crisis. Relations with the United States continue to strain both political and economic ties between the two nations.