Chinese Communist Party's fifth plenum

BEIJING

AP Photo

President Xi Jinping and other top members of China's ruling Communist Party will meet in Beijing today for a crucial gathering that could hint at the country's next generation of leaders.

The fifth plenary session of the party's Central Committee precedes the five-yearly party congress next year, where Xi will likely secure a fourth term.

Plenums are closed-door gatherings of the party's Central Committee -- the top 300 or so members -- where major national and party decisions are debated.

Today’s meeting is the fifth since this cohort was selected in 2022 and will focus on party governance.

The plenum comes ahead of an expected leadership reshuffle at the 21st Party Congress in autumn 2027, where Xi, 73, is likely to secure another term as leader.

A 2016 plenum enshrined him as the Party's "core", while the 2021 edition elevated Xi's doctrines and adopted a new resolution on party history.

This time, analysts speculate that Xi could bolster his authority by assuming the title "party chairman," a position Mao Zedong held.

The meeting, which concludes on Thursday, will debate and adopt a decision on "full and rigorous party self-governance," with Xi keen to institutionalise discipline measures.

Xi remains frustrated with cadres not implementing his orders, despite a 14-year anti-corruption drive that has snared thousands of officials -- including dozens of Central Committee members.