Xi Opens Party Session as Eight Seats Sit Empty
The four-day meeting convenes with the lowest Central Committee attendance since 1976, focusing on stricter discipline and leadership loyalty.
By Fatou Kim ·
Eight empty chairs sat in the room on Monday as Chinese political leaders began a four-day meeting. This marks the lowest turnout for a Central Committee plenum since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. The absence of officials stems from a long-running anticorruption campaign that has removed many from their posts.
President Xi Jinping is using this session to push for tighter control over his officials. The group, known as the fifth plenum, consists of roughly 300 members who meet in closed-door sessions. They will debate a draft policy decision on advancing full and rigorous party self-governance. The goal is to make cadres more disciplined and less corrupt.
The timing of the meeting comes about a year before Xi is expected to win a fourth five-year term as party leader. Analysts view the plenum as a chance to align new generations of officials with Xi's vision. Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, told The Associated Press that the session ensures rising leaders share Xi's view of China's opportunities and risks.
Xi has run a 14-year campaign against corruption that purged thousands of officials. He remains frustrated by cadres who he says do not follow orders. In a January speech, he criticized two-faced officials who comply with directives but inwardly resist. He described them as politically opportunistic and driven by individualism.
The anticorruption drive has also reshaped the military leadership. Five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission have been removed. The plenum may bring new appointments to that body. Xi could also restructure how the party controls the armed forces.
Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, expects the committee to call for closer scrutiny of public spending. He anticipates wider use of technology to uncover corruption and tougher penalties for underperforming officials. The discussions happen while China struggles with weak domestic spending and a property crisis.
The country faces additional pressure from turbulent relations with the United States. The Central Committee currently has eight vacant seats. Another 15 members are under investigation and could be replaced during or after the session.
