Xi tightens grip on China's Communist Party as General Zhang Shengmin joins Politburo
General Zhang Shengmin, the military's anti-corruption chief, joined the Politburo at a Communist Party plenum that adopted tighter discipline and had its lowest attendance since 1976.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has further tightened his hold on the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the fifth plenary session of its 20th Central Committee, held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, according to Gorkhapatra. The party's leaders adopted measures to tighten discipline in its ranks and to curb corruption among cadres, Khabarhub and Ratopati reported, citing China's Xinhua news agency, which did not say what the measures are.
General Zhang Shengmin, a vice-chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and its anti-corruption chief, was promoted to the Politburo, the party's highest decision-making body. Setopati, citing the Financial Times, reported that Zhang led a sweeping purge inside the military and is the only military officer on the Politburo. His promotion takes the Politburo to 22 members, according to Khabarhub and Ratopati.
The party will hold its 21st congress in the second half of next year to choose its general secretary for the next five years, and analysts expect Xi to seek a fourth term, Setopati reported. Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, told AFP that the meeting appeared to serve as preparation for Xi to secure another term at that congress, and that tightening control over personnel was a step to make sure the extension goes smoothly, Khabarhub and Ratopati reported.
The lowest attendance since 1976
Attendance at the plenum was the lowest since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, following Xi's sweeping purges, Khabarhub, Ratopati and Setopati reported. Setopati, citing Asia Society senior fellow Neil Thomas, put it at 74 percent of a Central Committee that began its term with 205 full and 171 alternate members. Eight seats on the committee were vacant before the meeting, and some of them were filled, according to Khabarhub and Ratopati.
Xi has made fighting corruption the central campaign of his rule since he came to power in 2012, Setopati noted, and Khabarhub and Ratopati reported that the campaign has removed thousands of officials, among them dozens of Central Committee members.
The campaign has reached the top of the military. Five of the CMC's seven members have been removed, Khabarhub and Ratopati reported. Among them is Zhang Youxia, once the country's most senior general, who was removed from his post in August after a months-long corruption investigation, according to the same reports. Only Xi and Zhang Shengmin now remain on the commission, Khabarhub, Ratopati and Setopati reported.
Discipline and governance
Tang Fangyu, head of the Central Committee's Policy Research Office, told a press conference that a proposal on "full and rigorous self-governance" of the party was the plenum's most important achievement, Gorkhapatra reported, adding that Xi played a decisive role in drafting it.
Voices close to the party describe the changes differently from the analysts. Before the plenum, eMountain TV carried the view of Rafael Henrique Zerbetto, a Brazilian expert with the China International Communication Group, that the public trust the CPC has earned is the result of its governance and strict self-discipline, and that its work style is the main reason for its success.