‘PLAYING THE EMPEROR’: There is no need speculate on who Xi Jinping’s successor might be, as the purpose of this meeting is to clear obstacles for him, an official said
By Chen Yu-fu / Staff reporter
The fifth plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Central Committee, which opened behind closed doors in Beijing yesterday, is aimed at clearing the way for the CCP’s 21st National Congress to extend Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) rule, a Taiwanese official familiar with cross-strait affairs said yesterday.
Beijing-controlled China Central Television (CCTV) said the primary agenda of the fifth plenum is for the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee to report on its work to the Central Committee, and to study “several major issues concerning the unswerving promotion of the full and rigorous party self-governance.”
Outside observers are watching closely if the multiple Chinese officials brought down by corruption charges would face disciplinary action during the meeting, said the Taiwanese official, who declined to be named.
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on as Chinese People’s Liberation Army honor guards hold party flags during a ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 1.
Photo: Reuters
Previous fifth plenums were usually focused on economic issues, while this one is focused on “strictly governing the party,” and that as China’s 15th Five-Year Plan was approved by the fourth plenary session last year, the focus of the fifth plenary session has shifted to “party building,” the official said.
Regarding party building, requirements for discipline would be enhanced, and a resolution would likely be passed on how to strengthen party discipline and reinforce party leadership, they said.
The official said as the 21st CCP National Congress is coming up next year, which would be a pivotal event regarding Xi’s bid to extend his tenure, he might step up the CCP’s anti-corruption efforts by using the fifth plenum to further weed out unfit members, meaning political purges and cleanups are likely to continue.
In this year’s anti-corruption efforts, the number of cadres directly managed by the CCP’s Central Committee that were targeted and disciplined reached a record high, they said.
A total of 416 central-managed cadres — CCP officials at or above the vice-ministerial level — had been purged from 2013 to last year, they said, adding that there were 57 officials targeted last year and more than 70 so far this year, making this year a record high.
“Xi Jinping will definitely extend his tenure at the 21st National Congress,” the official said, adding that “Xi is simply going to keep playing the emperor, and there is no doubt that his term will extend.”
There is no need to waste time discussing who his successor might be, they said, adding that the sole purpose of this fifth plenary session is to clear obstacles for the 21st CCP National Congress.
Among the CCP’s senior members, there is no one who can oppose Xi, as he has established complete absolute authority, they added.
The “Chinese economy has been turned into a complete mess, unemployment is extremely high, and the ordinary people of China are all living through tough times,” the official said, adding that despite Xi’s poor performance, the Chinese public does not dare to openly challenge him.
There are signs of deep public dissatisfaction with the CCP, and the party has responded by tightening social controls, intensifying its campaign to enforce party discipline and imposing stricter restrictions on Chinese people’s overseas travel, the official said.
These measures can all be seen as part of Xi’s efforts to stay in power, they said.