What to know about China’s plenum as Xi seeks stronger Communist Party

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s political leaders and elites begin a four-day meeting Monday to discuss strengthening the ruling Communist Party’s discipline, as Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for greater loyalty and reliability from officials while deepening his yearslong campaign against corruption.

This week’s closed-door gathering, known as the fifth plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, comes roughly a year before Xi is widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party’s leader and personnel changes to key leadership bodies.

While Xi has consolidated his grip on power, analysts say the plenum will offer him an opportunity to further align what Chinese officials do with what Beijing wants.

“The plenum is a chance to ensure the new generations rising the ranks share Xi’s assessment of the opportunities and risks China faces,” said Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at London’s Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

Here’s what to know about one of Beijing’s most significant political meetings this year.

Xi targets underperforming cadres and corruption

Xi’s anti-graft drive has been a defining feature of his rule since he came to power in 2012. Purges of officials — including some viewed as his political rivals — have been carried out on a scale that led critics to argue the campaign was also used to consolidate his power.

But his focus has expanded to cracking down on underperforming cadres too. In recent years, the number of officials punished for “formalism” and “bureaucratism” — misconduct such as dereliction of duty, inaction and reckless acts that seriously hinder development — has surged.

During the plenum, the central committee will discuss a draft policy decision on advancing “full and rigorous party self-governance,” China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported. The push could make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt. The proposal reflects Xi’s emphasis on the party’s “self-revolution,” a concept centered on the party reforming itself through efforts such as rooting out corruption and building ideological commitment.

Osman said Xi’s disciplinary crackdowns are now aimed more at institutional longevity.

“It’s less about purging elite rivals and more about building a disciplined system that can sustain Xi’s political priorities across leadership cycles,” she said.

Record-high disciplinary campaigns also do not necessarily mean a rebound in corruption, but rather that Xi has been steadily raising the bar for the party’s expectations of officials, she added.

Mingda Qiu, senior analyst of Eurasia Group’s China practice, said Beijing has been building its agenda for months.

“The message is clear: the anti-corruption campaign is not winding down. Officials are not only tested for loyalty, but also for compliance and action,” he said.

Xi said in a January meeting that while decisions by the party’s top leadership were smoothly implemented in general, inspections and audits found…